What are the social correlates of subsequent abortions in Flanders, Belgium?

Abstract: Objective To study whether the social correlates of subsequent abortions vary depending on the order of the abortion. Methodology: Drawing upon the Flemish abortion centres’ anonymized patient records (2010–2019), discrete-time hazard models were used to examine whether individual abortion experiences across women’s reproductive life course have different social correlates. Results Overall, women who were in their twenties, of foreign origin, single, had non-tertiary education, were not in paid employment, had children, did not (consistently and without errors) use contraception and... Mehr ...

Verfasser: De Kort, Leen
Wood, Jonas
Van de Velde, Sarah
Dokumenttyp: Artikel
Erscheinungsdatum: 2020
Schlagwörter: Sociology / Human medicine
Sprache: Englisch
Permalink: https://search.fid-benelux.de/Record/base-27473774
Datenquelle: BASE; Originalkatalog
Powered By: BASE
Link(s) : https://hdl.handle.net/10067/1705480151162165141

Abstract: Objective To study whether the social correlates of subsequent abortions vary depending on the order of the abortion. Methodology: Drawing upon the Flemish abortion centres’ anonymized patient records (2010–2019), discrete-time hazard models were used to examine whether individual abortion experiences across women’s reproductive life course have different social correlates. Results Overall, women who were in their twenties, of foreign origin, single, had non-tertiary education, were not in paid employment, had children, did not (consistently and without errors) use contraception and had a previous abortion through medication, had an elevated probability to experience subsequent abortions. While single women and women with a vulnerable socioeconomic status were more likely to have a second or third abortion, this difference is no longer prevalent when considering higher-order abortions. The hazard for higher-order abortions was more pronounced in women with a migration background, regardless of the order considered. Contraceptive use was unrelated to fourth or higher-order abortions. Conclusion Using discrete-time hazard models, we unpack individual abortion experiences across women’s reproductive life courses. By studying the transitions into different orders of subsequent abortions separately, we provide a more detailed understanding of risk factors compared to other European studies. The social correlates vary by the order considered: A certain profile emerges for women who have a second or third abortion, but disintegrates when considering higher-order abortions. This knowledge enables clinicians and policymakers to better understand women who experience subsequent abortions and to tailor services best suited to their needs.