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Divergent trends in abortion and birth control practices in belarus, Russia and Ukraine
- Source :
- PLoS ONE, Vol 7, Iss 11, p e49986 (2012), PLoS ONE
- Publication Year :
- 2012
- Publisher :
- Public Library of Science (PLoS), 2012.
-
Abstract
- ContextThe last decade witnessed growing differences in abortion dynamics in Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine despite demographic, social, and historical similarities of these nations. This paper investigates changes in birth control practices in the three countries and searches for an explanation of the diverging trends in abortion.MethodsOfficial abortion and contraceptive use statistics, provided by national statistical agencies, were analysed. Respective laws and other legal documents were examined and compared between the three countries. To disclose inter-country differences in prevalence of the modern methods of contraception and its association with major demographic and social factors, an analysis of data from national sample surveys was performed, including binary logistic regression.ResultsThe growing gap in abortion rate in Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine is a genuine phenomenon, not a statistical artefact. The examination of abortion and prevalence of contraception based on official statistics and three national sample surveys did not reveal any unambiguous factors that could explain differences in abortion dynamics in Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine. However, it is very likely that the cause of the inter-country discrepancies lies in contraceptive behavior itself, in adequacies of contraceptive knowledge and practices. Additionally, large differences in government policies, which are very important in shaping contraceptive practices of the population, were detected.ConclusionSince the end of the 1990s, the Russian government switched to archaic ideology in the area of reproductive health and family planning and neglects evidence-based arguments. Such an extreme turn in the governmental position is not observed in Belarus or Ukraine. This is an important factor contributing to the slowdown in the decrease of abortion rates in Russia.
- Subjects :
- Male
Republic of Belarus
Epidemiology
Fertility Rate
Abortion
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Russia
Birth control
Sociology
Pregnancy
Ovulation Inhibition
Birth Rate
Contraception Behavior
media_common
Reproductive health
Family planning policy
Aged, 80 and over
education.field_of_study
Multidisciplinary
Geography
Data Collection
Cultural Geography
Social Discrimination
Middle Aged
Religion
Abortion law
Family planning
Family Planning Services
Medicine
Female
Ukraine
Research Article
Adult
medicine.medical_specialty
Adolescent
Gender Discrimination
media_common.quotation_subject
Science
Population
Context (language use)
Biology
Human Geography
Sexual and Gender Issues
Young Adult
Social Prejudice
medicine
Humans
education
Regulations
Aged
Demography
Gynecology
business.industry
Sterilization, Reproductive
Abortion, Induced
Social Epidemiology
Demographic economics
business
Contraception, Barrier
Law
Intrauterine Devices
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 19326203
- Volume :
- 7
- Issue :
- 11
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- PLoS ONE
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....afe5c68c4c922886cb2e5c98cef66b4e