Getting an abortion is easier in Finland. Parliament voted on the matter today, Wednesday.
In the future, the opinion of two doctors will no longer be required for termination of pregnancy, and a pregnant woman can have an abortion at her own request up to the 12th week of pregnancy
Finland’s 50-year-old abortion law has been the strictest in the Nordic countries, because the opinion of two doctors was required for termination of pregnancy.
However, fewer abortions are currently performed in Finland than in other Nordic countries.
In this article, we collected seven facts about abortions from Finland and the world.
1. In Finland, the most abortions are performed in Åland, and that is due to Sweden
Last year, the largest number of abortions in relation to the population was performed in Åland. In the province, 13.5 abortions were performed per thousand people of childbearing age. Åland has been at the top of the statistics for several years. The explanation can be found in Sweden.
Special expert of the Institute of Health and Welfare Anna Heinon according to Sweden’s abortion debate is reflected in Åland.
In Sweden, half as many abortions are performed as in Finland, and you can get an abortion if you wish up to the 16th week of pregnancy.
In the country, the discussion atmosphere around the topic is different anyway. Pro-abortion supporters in Finland are basically of the opinion that the number of abortions should be reduced. According to Heino, in Sweden, speeches about reducing the number of abortions have occasionally been interpreted more sensitively in the public debate as limiting the right to abortion.
2. The big abortion numbers of a small place are a mystery
In mainland Finland, the highest number of pregnancies are terminated relative to the population in the small area of the Länsi-Pohja hospital district, which includes, for example, Kemi and Tornio. The region has traditionally been at the top of the statistics, except for individual years.
The high number of abortions is a mystery, says the chief physician Pia Vittaniemi Mehiläinen from Länsi Pohja. In particular, he is concerned that more than 20 percent of those who abort a pregnancy have given birth or had another abortion within a year.
– In healthcare, it is emphasized how important prevention is. Yet suddenly women are in the same situation again.
In several municipalities of the West-Pohja hospital district, there is free contraception for people under 25, which has reduced abortions in previous years.
In addition to free contraception, the number of abortions is generally known to be affected by, for example, sex education and how contraception is viewed.
Vittaniemi says she noticed that avoiding hormonal contraception is relatively common, even if it is a good way to prevent unwanted pregnancies.
– There has been a discussion on social media and in the public about the fact that extra hormones and hormonal contraception are not natural and therefore some have not wanted it.
3. Abortion is most often caused by cheating on birth control
The majority of those who have had an abortion have said that they used contraception when they got pregnant.
The most commonly used contraceptive is a condom, 44.4 percent say they used it.
Population Association expert Sari Hälinen however, approaches the statistics with a bit of caution. Statistical information can lie, because it is based on things told by those who have aborted their pregnancies.
Telling the reason for an accidental pregnancy at the doctor’s office can be humiliating, and the doctor may not dare to admit that he has not used contraception, says Hälinen.
– We think that it is much more acceptable when the condom has broken than not having used contraception at all.
4. Abortions are often performed by those who already have one or more children
About half of those who have terminated their pregnancy already have at least one child.
Last year, more than one in three had one or two children before the abortion.
For these people, there can be many reasons for termination of pregnancy, such as career or unfinished studies.
According to Väestöliitto’s expert Sari Hälinen, one of the reasons for ending up with an abortion can be peak years. If there are already small children in the family, the mental or financial resources may not be enough for the newcomer. On the other hand, some people have already reached their desired number of children, and therefore no longer want to add to the family.
5. In Finland, abortion is still more restricted than in some US states
Although the abortion law in the United States has been severely limited in several states, in some states it is still more lax than in Finland.
Although in Finland you can have an abortion on your own until the 12th week of pregnancy, the law is still not particularly liberal.
For example, in Washington and several other states, a pregnant woman can obtain an abortion until until the fetus is viable (you move to another service). Fetus viability means that the fetus can survive at birth. It is around 24–25 weeks of pregnancy.
However, in Finland it is easier to get an abortion and they have a wider acceptance than in the United States as a whole.
6. A permissive law does not everywhere guarantee that an abortion can be obtained
In some countries the law allows abortions, but in practice it can be very difficult to obtain.
In Italy, for example, doctors can refuse to perform abortions, and more and more doctors are doing so. In Italy, there are many Catholic doctors who justify their opposition to abortion with religious conviction.
The Council of Europe has also pointed out that obtaining an abortion is too difficult in Italy.
In Finland, healthcare personnel do not have the legal right to refuse to perform abortions, but in practice it is still possible for doctors. A doctor who opposes abortion can, for example, transfer the patient to another doctor on the condition that it does not endanger the patient’s safety.
7. The tightening of abortion laws in the world does not correspond to the general trend
Abortion rights have come under attack in several countries in recent years, but at least at the moment the general trend is the opposite.
Still, an estimated 40 percent of people of reproductive age live in countries where abortion is practically impossible or illegal.
For example, Poland has banned abortions in practice completely. Similarly, abortion laws were recently tightened in several states in the United States.
Globally, however, the direction of abortion laws is different. In recent decades, about 50 countries has relaxed its laws (you switch to another service) and 16 countries have waived the full ban.
You can listen to more about the reform of the abortion law and the Omatahto citizens’ initiative in the Takaisin Pasilaan podcast episode. The podcast was published in 2020.
Were the facts of the story familiar to you or did someone surprise you? You can discuss the topic until Thursday, October 27 at 11 p.m.