Register of Sterilisations
Register description
In accordance with section 10 of the Personal Data Act 523/1999
- Controller
- Person responsible for register
- Name of the register
- Grounds for maintaining the register
- Purpose of the register
- Data subjects
- Data content of the register
- Regular data sources of the register
- Regular disclosure of register data
- Right of access to data and right to rectify an error
- Information on the processing of data
- Principles concerning protection of the register
Controller
Name: National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL)
Postal address: PO Box 30, FI-00271 Helsinki, Finland
Visiting address: Mannerheimintie 166, 00270 Helsinki
Tel.: +358 29 524 6000
Person responsible for register
Name: Anna Heino
Position: Senior Planning Officer
Address: THL/Information Services/Register of Sterilisations/PO Box 220, FI-00531 Helsinki
Tel.: 029 524 7177
E-mail: [email protected]
Name of the register
Register of Sterilisations
Grounds for maintaining the register
Statutory
- Act on Sterilisation (283/1970), section 8; Decree on Sterilisation (427/1985), section 7
- Act on the National Institute for Health and Welfare (668/2008), section 2
Purpose of the register
Statistics and research
Data subjects
The Register contains information on all sterilisations that have been performed legally in Finland. The physician performing the procedure is required to report the case to THL within one month using a specific data collection form approved by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health.
Statistics on sterilisations have been published since 1935 when the first Act on Sterilisation entered into force. Data have been available in electronic format since 1987. The data collection forms are kept in the THL archive.
Data content of the register
1. Personal identity number
2. Marital status (unmarried, married, domestic partnership, separated, widow, divorced, civil partnership, no information)
3. Municipality of residence (code and/or name)
4. Profession (open field, no profession, retired, unemployed, no information)
5. Cohabiting
6. Number of previous pregnancies
7. End of last previous pregnancy and the outcome of the pregnancy
21. Method of contraception used before sterilisation
22. Earlier sterilisation
23. Decision-maker
24. Grounds for the sterilisation
25. Diagnoses
26. Date of the procedure
27. Sterilisation was performed (as the only procedure, in connection with induced abortion, in connection with birth)
28. Hospital or unit performing the sterilisation
29. Sterilisation procedure (outpatient, ambulatory surgery, inpatient)
30. Sterilisation: procedures performed
31. Complications
Regular data sources of the register
Data collection form approved by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health which the physician performing the procedure submits to THL.
Regular disclosure of register data
FinData is authorised to disclose data in the Register of Sterilisations to researchers for scientific research purposes.
Right of access to data and right to rectify an error
The Register is a statutory statistical and research register. It is prohibited to use the personal data stored in it for decision-making concerning the data subjects.
Information on the processing of data
The controller is not liable to inform the data subjects on data processing, because the Register is a statutory register.
Principles concerning protection of the register
The Register of Sterilisations functions in accordance with the THL data security guidelines, which are detailed in the THL plan for general contingency and protection.
The materials of the Register of Sterilisations, both in paper form and in electronic data, are kept in locked premises. Access to the premises is given only to certain named employees responsible for the Register. Electronic material is protected by user names and passwords. The Register uses access control software (auditing log).
