Unintended Pregnancy and Induced Abortion in the Netherlands 1954-2002

Abstract

In the Netherlands, abortion is legal, safe, easily available, and free of charge. Paradoxically, it is also extremely rare. Little quantitative research into the Netherlands' abortion practice has been done. We analyse the fertile life-course of N ¼ 3,793 Dutch women between 1954 and 2002. Using repeated event history analyses and sequential logistic regression, we test hypotheses on individual and societal effects on women's likelihood of experiencing (unintended) pregnancies and abortions during their life-course. The most important findings pertain to the effect of policies and laws intended to regulate reproductive behaviour. During the observation period, permissive abortion legislation and higher availability of abortion services increased the likelihood that Dutch women terminated unintended pregnancies. Abortion insurance did not affect the likelihood that women terminated an unintended pregnancy. Results suggest that the legalization, availability, and insurance of contraceptive pills helped to prevent abortions, because these measures effectively reduced the demand for abortion.

Family policy outcomes: Combining Institutional and Demographic Explanations of Women’s Employment and Earnings Inequality in OECD Countries, 1975-2005

“…1 A category of family policies that is beyond the scope of this dissertation is formed by family policies aimed at "helping parents to have the number of children they desire" (OECD, 2011, p. 11). This relates to an additional goal of family policies distinguished by Thévenon (2011), raising fertility rates, but also includes policies on contraceptives and induced abortion (Levels, Need, Nieuwenhuis, Sluiter, & Ultee, 2012;Levels, 2011;Rahmqvist, 2006).…”

Correlates of Common Mental Disorders Among Dutch Women Who Have Had an Abortion: A Longitudinal Cohort Study

“…The Dutch abortion law is among the most liberal in the world, yet the country's abortion rate is among the lowest. Also, stigmatization of abortion seems to be less in the Netherlands than in some other countries . Variables such as access to abortion and abortion stigma might be expected to confound associations to a larger extent in other contexts than in the Netherlands.…”

“…Also, stigmatization of abortion seems to be less in the Netherlands than in some other countries. 47,48 Variables such as access to abortion and abortion stigma might be expected to confound associations to a larger extent in other contexts than in the Netherlands. Thus, the potential impact of abortion-related variablesas well as variables measuring social support and negative life events-might be different in countries where circumstances are more restrictive and women are faced with barriers to access and social stigma around abortion.…”

The Role of Previous Contraception Education and Moral Judgment in Contraceptive Use

“…Comprehensive sex education is targeted toward adolescents and usually consists of information about healthy relationships, abstinence from sexual intercourse, and effective use of contraception . Current evidence suggests that comprehensive sex education reduces unintended pregnancy among adolescents, especially if implemented along with policies that provide convenient access to contraception . How comprehensive sex education in adolescence affects a woman's reproductive experiences in adulthood remains unexplored.…”

“…6 Current evidence suggests that comprehensive sex education reduces unintended pregnancy among adolescents, especially if implemented along with policies that provide convenient access to contraception. 6,7 How comprehensive sex education in adolescence affects a woman's reproductive experiences in adulthood remains unexplored.…”