Repeat Abortion and Contraceptive Use. Report from an Interview Study in Stockholm

Semistructured interviews were made among a random sample of applicants for abortion in Stockholm, when legal abortion on demand had been available in Sweden for 10 years. One hundred and twenty women were interviewed, 75 of them having their first abortion and 45 having a repeat abortion. The use of contraceptives was similar among first-time aborters and repeat aborters, but 70% in both groups had temporarily been without contraceptives at the time of conception. The interviews show that the family circumstances were more difficult for the women who had already experienced an abortion than for those who had not. The study indicates that the male partner and family circumstances were important for the decision to abort. Thus, family planning programs should reach also men. The main way to prevent repeat abortions seen in this study is to prevent abortions in general, by making contraceptives accepted by and easily obtainable for all groups in society, thus diminishing those times when sexually active men and women temporarily do not use contraceptives.