Russia Survey Finds People Becoming Slightly More Pro-Life on Abortion

by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
April 2, 2008
http://www.lifenews.com/int680.html

Moscow, Russia (LifeNews.com) -- A new survey from a Russian sociological research center finds people becoming more pro-life on abortion -- good news considering the prevalent attitude considering abortion a method of birth control. The poll found more Russian people are viewing abortion through a religious and moral perspective.

The Levada Center indicated that, since 1998, the number of people saying they take a moral approach to the issue of abortion has risen from 25 to 35 percent.

It found older Russians are most likely to view abortion as a sin against God with 51 percent of those aged 55 or older saying so.

Younger Russians are becoming more likely to take that view with 27 percent of those 18-27, 30 percent of people 25-39 and 40 percent of people 40-54 taking that view.

Yet, according to an AsiaNews report, the research center found 70 percent of Russians still support legalized abortion and the number of people favoring a law to prohibit abortions has fallen from 21 percent in 1998 to 16 percent now.

Meanwhile, the abortion situation in Russia is grim as the abortion figures have increased or remained the same in most parts of the country over the last 10 years.

That has prompted church officials and government authorities to try to reduce abortions.

The Orthodox Church has been more vocal about opposing abortion as the practice has created an underpopulation problem.

The Russian government and local governments have come up with interesting plans to try to increase the birth rate, including contests awarding money and appliances to the winners.

As recently as November, the Russian government's health ministry approved an informed consent agreement that women having abortions are urged to sign.

The new agreement is similar to the Right to Know laws pro-life advocates in the United States have approved that require abortion practitioners to tell women of abortion's risks.

The new informed consent document lists possible medical and mental health complications resulting from an abortion and women getting it would be told the fact that it is not necessarily a safe medical procedure.

Unlike American laws, abortion practitioners aren't required to present the document but are urged to do so and to sign the consent form indicating they have presented the range of possible complications if they use it.

The Russian population has been shrinking since the 1990s as abortion became a means of birth control. The nation is the largest in the world but it has just 141.4 million citizens -- less than half of the United States.

President Vladimir Putin, in May, defined the crisis as the nation's biggest problem and the government is offering hefty bonuses to women who have a second child.

Statistics. Birth, mortality and abortions rates. Russia 2007

According to several sources total population in Russia is about 142,000,000 people
(the number of people who will be retired soon is 84,480,000).

By 2050 the population in Russia will reduce by third.

During last 50 years birth rate in Russia was decreased by 50%/

“Despite decrease of abortions in Russia, we still rate the first in the worlds by a number of abortions”, said Vera Prilepskaya, Deputy Director, Science Center of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Prenatal Development.

Every fourth abortion in the world is done in Russia.

A number of aborted babies is still higher of born babies.

According to official sources there are 1.8 million abortions done every year in Russia. According to non-official date this number is higher by 8-10%.

57% of pregnancies ended up with abortion.

Over 30% women have an abortion more than once a year;
every second of them is younger 20 years old.

Experts say that the age of women having abortions has been dropped. Abortions are done even by school students. As a result the percentage of infertility in Russia is higher than in most of the countries.

According to statistics 60% of all abortions have young women at the age of 16-19, 15% - older women (INTERFAX).

Women who live in common marriage (20%) or divorced (20%) choose an abortion more often comparing to single (15%) or married women (10%).

Facts are showing that an abortion in Russia is a tool for

1. to postpone a birth of another child,
2. to stop having babies for those couples who have children

Consequences of abortions:

10% - 15% of abortions have various complications.

7-8% women become infertile after an abortion.

The risk if infertility rises by 30% after second abortion.

Currently 10 million Russians cannot have children (infertility). A number of women having infertility are growing by 200,000-250,000 every year.

In Russia every 10^th couple cannot have children.

Statistics show

Main reason for an abortion is financial problems (approximately 40%).

Second – fear for child’s future (21%).

Third – living conditions (15%).

9% of respondents said that have abortions because it is less expensive than other contraceptives.

Five main reasons of abortions in Russia.
1. UNSTAIBLE MARRIAGE, NOT TRUSTING A PARTNER. Only naive women think that having a baby can solve marriage problems and strength relationships. Many women think that a baby can push away a husband or a partner and she would be left alone with a baby or two.

2. LIVING CONDITIONS. Many young couples forced to live with their parents or to rent a place which is a biggest expense on their budget. Often it becomes a reason why a family decides not to have a baby (especially if it is a second baby).

3. LOW INCOME. Young families that have low income have to lower their living conditions if they have a baby. Sometime grandparents are willing to help with a first baby (including financial support), but with a second child it becomes a burden for them.

4. LOW LEVEL OF SEXUAL EDUCATION. Many young men and women do not know information about contraceptives; do not think about consequences of unplanned intercourses when partners do not use contraceptives.

5. MEDICAL REASONS FOR AN ABORTION, including PREGNANCY AS A RESULT OF A RAPE. Health conditions of many women are such that a pregnancy (especially second one) can be dangerous for them. There is no much information about rapes that end up with pregnancies but doctors say that the number of such cases is not rare as it seems to be.