Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-q99xh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-26T17:41:46.678Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Legalized abortion in South Australia: The first 7 years' experience

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 July 2008

Farhat Yusuf  and
Dora Briggs
Farhat Yusuf
Affiliation:
School of Economic and Financial Studies, Macquarie University, Sydney and School of Education, Flinders University, Adelaide.
Dora Briggs
Affiliation:
School of Economic and Financial Studies, Macquarie University, Sydney and School of Education, Flinders University, Adelaide.
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

This paper examines the official abortion statistics for South Australia since the legalization of abortion in January 1970. The incidence of abortion is shown to be increasing steadily—in 1976 more than half of the extramarital pregnancies were terminated and the overall ratio of abortions to live births was nearly 1:6. Most abortion patients were single, young women. Comparison of fertility levels in South Australia with the rest of Australia shows that the fertility decline has been much more rapid in South Australia, suggesting that unless the South Australian women are more efficient users of contraception than other Australian women, a significant proportion of the fertility decline in South Australia has to be attributed to legalized abortion.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Biosocial Science , Volume 11 , Issue 2 , April 1979 , pp. 179 - 192
Copyright
Copyright © 1979, Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Blewett, J. (1975) The Abortion Law Reform Association of South Australia, 1968–1973. In: The Other Half: Women in Australian Society, p. 377. Edited by Mercer, J.. Penguin Books, Sydney.Google Scholar
Connon, A. F. (1971) Medical abortions in South Australia: the first 12 months under new legislation. Med. J. Aust. 2, 608.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Connon, A. F. (1973) Trends in legalized abortion in South Australia. Med. J.Aust. 1, 231.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fenner, F. (1972) Abortion: medical questions. In: Abortion: Repeal or Reform?, p. 22. Edited by Haines, N.Australian National University Centre for Continuing Education, Canberra.Google Scholar
Finlay, H. A. & Glas-Beek, S. (1973) Family Planning and the Law in Australia. Family Planning Association of Australia, Sydney.Google Scholar
Hordern, A. (1971) Legal Abortion: The English Experience. Pergamon Press, Oxford.Google Scholar
Kitagawa, E. (1955) Components of difference between two rates. J. Am. statist. Ass. 50, 1168.Google Scholar
Mallen, Committee (1976) Seventh Annual Report of the Committee Appointed to Examine and Report on Abortions Notified. In South Australia for the Year 1975. South Australian Government Printer, Adelaide.Google Scholar
Mallen, Committee (1977) Eighth Annual Report of the Committee Appointed to Examine and Report on Abortions Notified. In South Australia for the Year 1976. South Australian Government Printer, Adelaide.Google Scholar
Miller, J. (1973) Therapeutic termination of pregnancy in private practice. Med. J. Aust. 1, 831.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Millhouse, R. (1972) Repeal or reform? Legal questions. In: Abortion: Repeal or Reform?, p. 92. Edited by Haines, N.Australian National University Centre for Continuing Education, Canberra.Google Scholar
Riordan, L. (1977) Teenage Pregnancies The Educational Implications. South Australian Council for Educational Planning and Research, Adelaide.Google Scholar
Royal Commission on Human Relationships (1977) Report, Vol. 3. Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra.Google Scholar
South Australian Government (1969) Act No. 109: To Amend the Criminal Law Consolidation Act, 1935–1966. South Australian Government Printer, Adelaide.Google Scholar
Tietze, C. & Bongaarts, J. (1975) Fertility rates and abortion rates: simulations of fertility limitations. Stud. Fam. Plann. 6, 114.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Treloar, S., Snyder, E. & Kerr, C. (1977) Effect of a new service on women's abortion experience. J. biosoc. Sci. 9, 417.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wainer, J. (1975) Pathways to Abortion. Paper No. 8, Department of Sociology, LaTrobe University, Melbourne.Google Scholar
Yusuf, F. (1977) Abortions in New South Wales. Bull. int. statist. Inst. (Proceedings of the 41st Session) 4, 625.Google Scholar