Portugal witnessed a surge in abortion rates, experiencing a 15% uptick in 2022.
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According to a new study from Portugal's General Directorate of Health (DGS), the number of abortions performed in 2022 was much higher than in 2021. A greater number of Portuguese women are opting for abortion, and the demographics of those seeking this medical treatment have shifted noticeably, according to the data.
There were 15,870 abortions in Portugal in 2022, following the DGS data published on October 16th, 2023. There were a total of 13,778 abortions in 2021, hence this number reflects a 15% rise from the previous year. As a result, the national abortion rate increased significantly and alarmingly from 180.3 to 196.9 abortions per 1,000 live births.
The report's significant results include an analysis of the demographics of abortion in 2022. Twenty-three percent, or about one in five, of abortion patients were young women in their twenties. This group of people became the most numerous, followed by women aged 25-29 (23.7%) and 30-34 (20.1%). However, among young women, the proportion choosing abortion fell from 10.8% in 2013 to 8.6% in 2022. Women are consistently 28 years old when they make the decision to get an abortion.
It was also shown that after having an abortion, almost 93% of women chose some kind of birth control. However, the percentage of women using "long-acting" contraceptives dropped by around 2.5 percentage points, to 35.1%, between 2021 and 2022.
A tiny fraction of abortions (3.3% to be exact) were carried out for medical reasons, mostly associated with major diseases or congenital deformities of the unborn child, according to the research. These abortions were performed at a median gestational age of seven weeks.
Approximately 68.6 percent of all abortions were performed by the National Health Service. Notably, almost all (98.9%) public sector abortions were performed medically, whereas nearly all (95.3%) private sector abortions were performed surgically.
The survey found that in 2022, the average waiting time from the first consultation to the actual abortion was 6.4 days, with the median waiting time being five days.
Again, the biggest concentration of abortions was in the Vale do Tejo and Lisbon areas, which together accounted for 58.9% of all abortions in the nation. Surprisingly, 3.1% of abortion-seeking women did not live in these areas, indicating some mobility among those seeking this medical procedure.
The research highlights the rise in the number of international women who have chosen to get abortions on their own will. In 2022, international women were responsible for 28.9% of birth terminations, up from 25.9% in 2021 and 24.6% in 2020. This pattern parallels the increase of non-native female residents in Portugal.
With a worrying rise in abortion rates and shifting demographic trends among individuals selecting this choice, this analysis sheds light on a shifting picture of reproductive health in Portugal. These numbers highlight the need for in-depth conversations on topics such as social and economic issues impacting women's reproductive choices in the nation, as well as the need of educating women on reproductive health and providing them with access to contraceptives.