Contraception and induced abortion in Armenia: a critical need for family planning programs in eastern Europe

The purpose of this study was to determine the number of induced abortions per woman and the reasons for selecting induced abortion among parous Armenian women. A consecutive series of 200 women attending an abortion clinic in Yerevan, Armenia, were queried by a physician about their reproductive histories. Women younger than 20 years of age reported a median of 1 and women older than 40 years reported a median of 8 induced abortions in their lifetimes (overall median = 3). Lack of contraceptive information was the major reason cited for not using contraception. Induced abortion is the major form of birth control among parous Armenian women. Concerted public health campaigns are needed to inform women and their physicians in Armenia and other Eastern European countries about alternative contraceptive methods.