Guttmacher Institute, New York, New York, USA.
Int Perspect Sex Reprod Health. 2012 Sep;38(3):143-53. doi: 10.1363/3814312.
Assessments of abortion levels and trends by women's age at termination can be used to monitor trends in unintended pregnancy by age and can inform relevant programs and policies.
Legal abortion incidence data were compiled from national statistical offices and nationally representative surveys of more than 40 countries where legal abortion is generally available. Age-specific abortion rates and percentage distributions of abortions by age were computed, and trends since 1996 and 2003 were examined. Subregional and regional estimates were developed for geographic areas where the majority of the population was represented by the data.
The median year for the most recent estimates of abortions by woman's age was 2009. Adolescents accounted for a smaller share of abortions than their share of the population in the majority of eligible countries with data. In most countries, the highest age-specific abortion rates and proportions of abortions were among women aged 20-29. Since 1996, adolescent abortion rates have increased the most in Belgium, the Netherlands and Scotland (22-42%), and have decreased the most in Estonia, Hungary, Iceland, Slovakia and Slovenia (40-55%). The proportion of abortions obtained by adolescents was higher in North America (18%) than in Europe overall (11%), although the proportion in Northern Europe (18%) was the same as that in North America.
Higher abortion rates in particular age-groups probably reflect higher-than-average levels of unmet need for contraception or difficulty using methods consistently and effectively, and a stronger desire to avoid childbearing. Each of the patterns observed has implications for service and information needs within countries.
通过女性终止妊娠时的年龄评估堕胎水平和趋势，可用于监测按年龄划分的意外怀孕趋势，并为相关计划和政策提供信息。
从国家统计部门和 40 多个普遍提供合法堕胎的国家的全国代表性调查中汇编了合法堕胎发生率数据。计算了按年龄划分的特定年龄堕胎率和堕胎百分比分布，并审查了自 1996 年和 2003 年以来的趋势。为大多数人口由数据代表的地理区域制定了次区域和区域估计数。
按女性年龄划分的最近堕胎估计数的中位数年份为 2009 年。在大多数有数据的符合条件的国家中，青少年在堕胎中的比例小于其在人口中的比例。在大多数国家中，20-29 岁的女性的特定年龄堕胎率和堕胎比例最高。自 1996 年以来，比利时、荷兰和苏格兰的青少年堕胎率增长最多（22-42%），爱沙尼亚、匈牙利、冰岛、斯洛伐克和斯洛文尼亚的堕胎率下降最多（40-55%）。在北美的青少年堕胎比例（18%）高于欧洲（11%），尽管北欧（18%）的比例与北美相同。
特定年龄组的堕胎率较高可能反映了避孕需求高于平均水平或使用方法的一致性和有效性存在困难，以及更强烈地希望避免生育。观察到的每种模式都对国内的服务和信息需求产生影响。
