A Study on the Induced Abortion Behavior of Currently Married Women in Korea

우리나라 유배우부인의 인공임신중절에 관한 연구

An attempt had been made to obtain current information on induced abortion among currently married women aged 15 to 44. The source of data was 1985 National Fertility and Family Planning Survey conducted by Korea Institute for Population and Health in may 1985. 1. At the time of the survey, 53 percent of currently married women aged 15 to 44 had experienced induced abortion: 25.5 percent of the respondents who had experienced induced abortion only one time and another 27.6 percent more than two times. 2. The proportion of women who had experienced induced abortion seemed to increase according to the advance in age. It seemed that there was no significant difference in the experience rate of induced abortion by academic career, and there was inverse relationship between the experience rate of induced abortion and the age at first marriage. The experience rate if induced abortion by the number of living children was highest among those who had three children as 65.6 percent. 3. To analyze the effect of induced abortion on fertility, this study employed multiple regression analysis as a statistical technique. Instead of index representing fertility level the number of living children served as dependent variable. Independent variables used in analysis included age, age at first marriage, education level, ideal number of children, religion, frequency of induced abortion, total number of pregnancies and participation in labor force. Standardized partial regression coefficient of induced abortion was no less than -0.61. So, it can be concluded that induced abortion offered the great contribution on the birth control. A consistant health education and efficient management of family planning program would be essential for effectiveness of contraceptive practice.