Abstract
In 1988-1989 researchers analyzed data on 15178 induced abortions among 15-29 year old single women from 5 districts of Shanghai China to determine trends in abortion among single women. They also looked at medical records at Hua-chuan General Hospital in Shanghai to learn the percentage of single women who experienced late abortions. The highest abortion rate was among 20-24 year old women (]59) followed by 25-29 year old women (94) and 15-19 year old women (56). In fact 21 year olds experienced the most abortions (182.7) and 15 year olds the least (0). Among teenagers the rate stood 57% higher in the rural districts than the urban districts (72.2 vs. 45.9). Further abortion rates rose rapidly in the rural districts with age peaking at 20 years (264.1) then fell sharply to 23 among 28 year olds. On the hand the increase was more gradual among urban women and peaked at 21 (224.9) and the ensuing fall was more steady and was higher than rural areas. In 1982 in the 3 urban districts 14% of abortions occurred in single women. By 1986 it increased to 28%. It fell slightly to 25% in 1988. These corresponding figures for the rural districts were 14% 20% and 24%. Between 1982-1988 the abortion rate of 15-19 year olds rose from 5-56. Further abortion rates among 20-24 year olds and 30-34 year olds rose 4 times and among 25-29 year olds more than twice. 43% of all 2nd and 3rd trimester abortions occurred in unmarried women in 1982 by 1988 this figure soared to 63%. This indicated that single women were more likely to obtain an abortion late in their pregnancies than married women. The Chinese family planning program encourages women to delay marriage until age 23 and improved health and nutrition have reduced the age of menarche thus leaving women a longer period of sexual maturity. This coupled with the fact that cultural mores stress sexual abstinence outside of marriage and premarital pregnancy brings shame the considerable abortion rate among single women in Shanghai was not surprising.
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