Legal abortion in Eastern Europe.

Abstract

In eastern Europe women frequently resort to abortion when contraception control fails regardless of their religious or ethnic backgrounds. Where criminal abortion was widely used legalization of abortion on social grounds is associated with very large numbers of operations. However the number of illegal abortion declined. There is no evidence that the abortion laws of eastern Europe have led any significant proportion of the population to be socially irresponsible or that they have in any way undermined the basis of family life.