Significant Rise in Voluntary Abortions in Spain: 2023 Report
In 2023, Spain witnessed a concerning rise in voluntary interruptions of pregnancy (IVE), with a total of 103,097 cases recorded. This marks an increase of 4,781 from the previous year, 2022, which saw 98,316 IVEs – representing an uptick of 48 percent in just one year and an alarming 87 percent increase since 2014 when the count was 94,796. These statistics were detailed in the State Register of Voluntary Interruptions of Pregnancy released by the Ministry of Health, coinciding with the World Day for Safe Abortion.
The data revealed that the IVE rate in Spain reached 1,222 per 1,000 women aged between 15 and 44 in 2023. This not only surpasses the rate of 1,168 recorded in 2022 but also highlights a significant rise from the 1,046 rate in 2014, indicating a growing incidence of abortions across recent years.
When examining the type of facilities where these procedures occurred, private centers performed 81,45 percent of the IVEs. Regionally, Catalonia had the highest IVE rate at 1,492 per 1,000 women, closely trailed by the Community of Madrid at 1,392. Conversely, Aragon reported the lowest rate at just 84 per 1,000 women. The increase in incidence was noted across all age demographics, with the most notable rise observed in the group of women aged 19 years and younger.
Interestingly, 93,94 percent of the IVEs were conducted at the request of the woman herself, indicating a strong element of personal choice in these decisions. Further data showed that 75,19 percent of these procedures took place at eight weeks gestation or less, and 66,99 percent of the women undergoing the procedure had never before had a voluntary abortion.
Examining the lifestyle of the women involved, it was found that 30,69 percent lived with a partner, while 58,01 percent were wage earners. Additionally, 65,52 percent identified as Spanish nationals. Education levels revealed a slight increase among women possessing high school diplomas or vocational training, as well as among those with university degrees.
Surprisingly, surgical methods accounted for 69,77 percent of the procedures, although the pharmacological method was notably dominating in regions such as Cantabria (96,50 percent), Navarra (76 percent), the Balearic Islands (74 percent), La Rioja (68 percent), Galicia (59,96 percent), and Catalonia (55,74 percent).
A concerning statistic emerged showing that 19,7 percent of women did not utilize contraceptives—the lowest proportion in a decade. Furthermore, a survey conducted by the Spanish Society of Contraception (SEC) and the Spanish Foundation of Contraception (FEC) revealed that nearly half of the women surveyed reported using medication to alleviate menstrual pain.
In terms of demographic trends, the report highlighted that there were 10,934 IVEs recorded for women under the age of 20, reflecting a dramatic increase of 478 percent compared to 2022. Alarmingly, 46,50 percent of these young women did not employ any contraceptive methods.
The total number of centers reporting IVEs rose to 230, up from 222 in the previous year. Of the 16,845 IVEs reported from hospital centers, public facilities accounted for 8,201 while private institutions performed 8,644. In non-hospital settings, a staggering 86,252 procedures took place, divided into 10,924 from public and 75,328 from private centers.
Most significantly, 98,850 IVEs were attributed to the woman's request, while others were reported due to serious health risks to the mother (32,94 percent) or severe fetal anomalies (26,88 percent).
In light of these concerning trends and increases, the Ministry of Health has emphasized the urgency of enhancing sexual and reproductive education alongside ensuring better access to contraceptive methods to help mitigate the number of unwanted pregnancies.
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