Induced Abortion in Tehran, Iran, 2008 and 2014: Estimated Rates, Trends, and Correlates

Amir Erfani, Nipissing University

Abortion is highly restricted by law in Iran, and many women with unwanted pregnancies resort to clandestine, unsafe abortions, jeopardizing their health. In the dearth of reliable information on abortion in Iran, this study uses rich data from two large scale fertility surveys, conducted by the author in the capital city of Tehran in 2008 (n=2934) and 2014 (n=3012) among representative samples of married women aged 15-49. A separate module in the surveys was devoted to collecting data on abortion. In addition to estimating abortion rates and trends for the population and its subgroups, I also document the reasons for abortion, pre- and post- abortion contraceptive use, post-abortion complications, abortions by gestational age, place of abortion and abortion providers. These data will provide accurate information on abortion incidence that is needed to assess the extent to which women experience unwanted pregnancies and to allocate resources for contraceptive services.