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Reproductive Health Matters
An international journal on sexual and reproductive health and rights
Volume 22, 2014 - Issue 43: Population, environment and sustainable development
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Original Articles

Induced abortion patterns and determinants among married women in China: 1979 to 2010

 

Abstract

Abstract

China has launched the one-child policy to control its rapidly expanding population since 1979. Local governments, tasked with limiting regional birth rates, commonly imposed induced abortions. After 1994, China’s family planning policy was relatively loosened and mandatory induced abortion gradually gave way to client-centered and informed-choice contraceptive policy and the “Compensation” Fee policy. This study assesses trends in and determinants of induced abortion among married women aged 20–49 in China from 1979 to 2010, using data from national statistics and nationally representative sample surveys. The incidence of induced abortions among married women aged 20–49 began to decrease in the mid-1990s. The induced abortion rate reached its highest level in the early 1980s (56.07%) and its lowest level in the 2000s (18.04%), with an average annual rate of 28.95% among married women 20–49 years old. The likelihood of a pregnant woman undergoing an induced abortion during this period depended not only on individual characteristics (including ethnicity, age, education level, household registration, number of children, and sex of children), but also on the stringency of the family planning policy in place. The less stringent the family planning policy, the less likely married women were to undergo an induced abortion.

Résumé

La Chine a lancé la politique de l’enfant unique en 1979 pour maîtriser sa croissance démographique rapide. Les autorités locales chinoises, chargées de limiter les taux de natalité au niveau régional, ont fréquemment imposé des avortements. Après 1994, la politique de planification familiale a été relativement assouplie et les avortements obligatoires ont été remplacés par une politique contraceptive centrée sur les clients et le choix éclairé, ainsi que par la politique d’indemnisation sociale. Cette étude évalue les tendances de l’interruption de grossesse et ses déterminants chez les femmes mariées âgées de 20 à 49 ans en Chine de 1979 à 2010, à l’aide de statistiques nationales et d’enquêtes auprès d’échantillons représentatifs à l’échelon national. L’incidence des avortements chez les femmes mariées âgées de 20 à 49 ans a commencé à diminuer à la moitié des années 1990. Le taux d’avortement induit a atteint son plus haut niveau au début des années 1980 (56,07%) et son plus bas niveau dans les années 2000 (18,04%), avec un taux annuel moyen de 28,95% chez les femmes mariées âgées de 20 à 49 ans. La probabilité qu’une femme enceinte avorte pendant cette période dépendait non seulement de caractéristiques individuelles (notamment l’ethnicité, l’âge, le niveau d’instruction, l’enregistrement du ménage, le nombre et le sexe des enfants), mais aussi de la rigueur de la politique de planification familiale en place. Moins la politique de planification familiale était stricte, moins les femmes mariées risquaient d’avorter.

Resumen

En 1979 China lanzó la política de hijo único para controlar el rápido crecimiento de su población. Ante la tarea de limitar las tasas regionales de natalidad, los gobiernos locales de China comúnmente imponían abortos inducidos. Después de 1994, se relajó la política de planificación familiar de China y gradualmente ocurrió la transición de abortos inducidos obligatorios a una política de anticoncepción y elección informada centrada en los usuarios, así como la política de Compensación Social. Este estudio evalúa las tendencias y los determinantes relacionados con el aborto inducido entre mujeres casadas de 20 a 49 años de edad, desde 1979 hasta 2010, con datos de estadísticas nacionales y encuestas de muestras nacionalmente representativas. La incidencia de abortos inducidos entre mujeres casadas de 20 a 49 años de edad empezó a disminuir a mediados de la década de los noventa. La tasa de abortos inducidos alcanzó su mayor nivel a principios de los noventa (56.07%) y su menor nivel en la década de 2000 (18.04%), con una tasa anual promedio de 28.95% entre mujeres casadas de 20 a 49 años de edad. La probabilidad de que una mujer embarazada tuviera un aborto inducido durante este período dependía no solo de sus características personales (como etnia, edad, nivel de escolaridad, registro de su hogar, número y sexo de sus hijos), sino también del rigor de la política de planificación familiar vigente. Mientras menos estricta la política de planificación familiar, menos probable era que una mujer casada tuviera un aborto inducido.

Acknowledgements

I would like to acknowledge the valued comments, suggestions and corrections on earlier drafts of this article from Min Li, University of Florida. Special thanks to Yudong Zhang, University of Chicago, for her help in proofreading. This study was supported with funding from the Program for New Century Excellent Talents in University, China, and the Program for Innovation Research in the Central University of Finance and Economics, China.

Notes

* According to the Population and Family Planning Law of the People’s Republic of China and the Management Provisions of Imposing the “Compensation Fee” promulgated by the State Council, those who experience any of the following four circumstances should pay this fee to their local government: (1) giving birth to a baby out of wedlock; (2) giving birth to a baby not in compliance with the regulations; (3) giving birth to a second baby in compliance with the regulations, but unapproved; or (4) giving birth to a third (or subsequent) baby not in compliance with the regulations.

* The data are from published secondary statistics. There is no information in the data sources that can be used to identify respondents, and human subject protection is not an issue here. Furthermore, as a state organization, the NPFPC has an IRB to approve data collection related to human subjects. These disclaimers also apply to the data from the National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Surveys in China used here.

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