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China Reports 13M Abortions Annually

Health officials blame lack of birth control for unmarried women

By the Associated Press

Posted Jul 30, 2009 7:06 AM CDT
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(AP) – China performs about 13 million abortions every year, mostly for single young women who experts say know little about contraception, according to a rare disclosure by government health officials. China imposed strict birth controls in the 1970s, limiting most couples to just one child, but the policy tends to overlook the contraception needs of unmarried women even as attitudes toward casual sex have dramatically liberalized. Nearly half of Chinese women seeking abortions used no contraception.

The report, published in state media, called the widespread use of abortions "an unfortunate situation" but did not directly say whether abortions were on the rise, and no year-to-year statistics were given. The actual figure may be much higher than 13 million, since abortions in rural clinics often go unrecorded. In the US, with a population about a quarter of China's, 1.2 million women have abortions annually.

China has maintained a one-child policy since the 1970s, but contraception is not widely available for unmarried women.
China has maintained a one-child policy since the 1970s, but contraception is not widely available for unmarried women.   (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, File)
Medical personnel work on the medicines for patients at counter at a Traditional Chinese Hospital in Beijing, China, Thursday, July 23, 2009.
Medical personnel work on the medicines for patients at counter at a Traditional Chinese Hospital in Beijing, China, Thursday, July 23, 2009.   (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
Nurses are seen on duty at the Chengdu communicable disease hospital in Chengdu, southwestern China's Sichuan province, Wednesday, May 13, 2009.
Nurses are seen on duty at the Chengdu communicable disease hospital in Chengdu, southwestern China's Sichuan province, Wednesday, May 13, 2009.   (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 6 comments
kokuaguy
Jul 30, 2009 6:46 AM CDT
The PRC needs to be given more credit for its one child policy. That in itself is a huge reduction of the carbon footprint.
mak
Jul 30, 2009 4:46 AM CDT
yikes! plus think of all the STDs spreading since they're not using condoms.
newsrmandan
Jul 30, 2009 4:42 AM CDT
if that statistic has been true for the last 20-25 years then China has killed (roughly speaking) the population of the united states. @ ruserious its the Dems that think wildfires are ok where as most repubs know that a controlled burn is always preferred. Same as with sex its always better more often and with greater accuracy when its controlled in marriage. Of course your "education" would think that idea was primitive or naive. Don't blame me for the truth blame your misinformed education. Abortion is wrong don't start justifying it because you think people are stupid.

Copyright 2012 Newser, LLC. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. AP contributed to this report.

 
China • abortion • contraception • women's health • women • sexual health • Chinese officials

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