Induced abortions
The quality description of the Register of Induced Abortions assesses the reliability and suitability of the statistics for different purposes.
Relevance of statistical data
The statistics on induced abortions contain data on the annual number of induced abortions. Data on induced abortions are provided by age group and wellbeing services county per 1000 women of the same age.
The statistical report also gives numbers concerning grounds for induced abortions, the gestational stage at which they are performed, previous abortions and deliveries among abortion patients, methods of abortion used, and the contraceptive methods that abortion patients have used or that have been planned for them.
The report aims to provide up-to-date information on induced abortions to health care professionals, administrators, planning officials and researchers working in the area of reproductive health.
The report text describes the concepts and definitions used in the statistics.
The collection of data is based on the Act on the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (668/2008) and on the Act on Induced Abortion 238/1970.
Description of methods
Data on induced abortions are collected from all the health care units in Finland that perform induced abortions.
According to current legislation (Act on Induced Abortion 238/1970, Decree on Induced Abortion 359/1970), the health care unit performing the procedure is required to report the case to the National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) within one month using a specific data collection form approved by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health.
Data in the 2023 statistical report are based on reports submitted to THL by 5th May 2024.
Year 2023 most data were collected to THL by electronic means. Units performing procedures complete an electronic form and save it in a secure format for THLs use or information transfers to THL as a database acquisition. Data check-ups are made regularly and any unclear cases and diagnoses are checked and ascertained by contacting the hospitals that have performed the procedure concerned.
Correctness and accuracy of data
Correctness of data depends on the quality of the data submitted by the data suppliers. In unclear cases, the data in the Register of Induced Abortions are compared with those in other registers (Medical Birth Register, Care Register). If necessary, the operating unit that has performed the procedure is contacted in order to ascertain the data. In addition, the data on abortions for fetal indication are compared to data recorded at Valvira and in the Register of Congenital Malformations.
Any errors identified in the statistics will be corrected. Even earlier statistics are updated in case of delays in reporting. These revisions do not, however, have any significant impact on the overall trend in the number of induced abortions.
In spring 2024, slightly larger than normal corrections were made to the data for 2020–2022, and the number of abortions in the register increased more than normal: in connection with the checks, it was noted that a few of the units performing proce-dures had systematically failed to submit registration notifications, and these notifica-tions were updated in the register retrospectively. Compared to previously published figures, the number of abortions in 2020 increased by 0.1% and in 2021 and 2022 by 1.3%.
The validation study with 2011 data showed that the coverage of the Register on Induced Abortions is excellent: 97.0 per cent of performed induced abortions was found in the register.[1].
Timeliness and promptness of published data
The statistics on induced abortions are produced by THL annually. The report, published in once a year, describes the number of induced abortions in the previous year.
Availability and transparency/clarity of data
The reports are published on the THL website. Statistical data is annually published in both national and international statistical publications (Nomesko, WHO, UN). The appendix tables to the statistical report are published as database tables which enable the reader to choose the data displayed.
Findata is authorised to disclose data in the Register of Induced Abortions to researchers for scientific research purposes.
Findata
Comparability of statistical data
The first act on induced abortion took effect on 1 July 1950. Statistics on induced abortions have been published since 1951. The current Act on Induced Abortion is from 1970. In 1985, the Act amending the Act on Induced Abortion (572/1985) introduced a Sec-tion 5a to the Act, allowing induced abortion on the grounds of potential or confirmed foetal defect before the 24th week of gestation (≤ 24+0) .
The updated Act on Induced Abortion entered into force on 1 September 2023. As of 1 September 2023, the ground for abortion is always the pregnant person’s request if the gestation has lasted 12+0 weeks or less. The pregnant person does not need to justify their request in any way. When the gestation has lasted for more than 12+0 weeks, usually only the National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health (Valvira) can make the decision to allow induced abortion (unless it is based on a health hazard, Section 1, Sub-section 2 of the Act, or emergency abortion).
An updated registration notification form (AB4) was also introduced on 1 September 2023. According to the amendment, new grounds for abortion were added to the register (the pregnant person’s own request), “one physician” was removed from the decision-maker options, as the act no longer recognises induced abortions made by decision of one physician. Some smaller terminological changes were also made.
Since 1983, data on induced abortions have been kept in an electronic THL database. Official statistical publications by the National Board of Health (one of THL’s predecessors) have been used as a source of information for earlier years. Data on the number of induced abortions is available as of 1950, and data from 1955 include information such as the grounds for abortion. As of 1958, there is even more data available, including the patient’s marital status, age, number of births and the number of procedures performed in each province. Time series on almost all variables recorded today are available from the mid-1970s onward.
Data for earlier years have been checked, for instance, by removing data that had been entered twice and by adding missing cases, so some data may deviate from previously published statistics. As a result, data may deviate from previously published statistics.
With regard to age-specific data, it should be noted that from 1994 onwards such data in the register refer to the age of the patient on the day of the procedure, whereas the data for preceding years refer to the age at the end of the year. The data for 1986–1993 have been calculated retrospectively using the patient's age on the day of the procedure. More accurate information on any factors influencing the interpretation of the statistics, such as legislative reforms, is given specifically for each table.
In the data collection form for the register, for some of the variables (e.g. contraceptive method, method of induced abortion, indication) it is possible to select more than one alternative. This should be taken into account when examining the tables.
The concepts and definitions of induced abortion have remained unchanged throughout this time. The statistics apply the ICD-10 classification system.
Clarity and consistency
The data on induced abortions in the Statistical Report are nationwide. Previous years' data are corrected, where necessary, retrospectively, but the changes have been fairly small.
Special issues concerning the 2023 statistics
The updated Act on Induced Abortion entered into force on 1 September 2023. An updated registration notification form (AB4) was also introduced at the same time. According to the amendment, new grounds for abortion were added to the register (the pregnant person’s own request), “one physician” was removed from the decision-maker options, as the act no longer recognises induced abortions made by decision of one physician. Some smaller terminological changes were also made.
In spring 2024, slightly larger than normal corrections were made to the data for 2020–2022, and the number of abortions in the register increased more than normal: in connection with the checks, it was noted that a few of the units performing procedures had systematically failed to submit registration notifications, and these notifications were updated in the register retrospectively.
