Other events in Baltic States

The number of terminated pregnancies in Estonia fell again significantly in 2009, falling below 10,000 for the first time in decades, LETA/Postimees writes.

Experts find that this is due to better counselling of young people as well as of new mothers. In 2009, there were 9,693 pregnancies terminated in Estonia, 7,542 of them due to patients’ wishes. In 2008, the number of abortions was 10,699.

The number of abortions has fallen constantly since 1991, but last year the fall was steeper than in earlier years, over 10%.

Statistical Office’s senior statistician Kalev Noorkõiv said that the number of abortions was below 10,000 for the first time since 1956. In 1970s, over 40,000 abortions a year were conducted, over two more times more than there were of births.

In 2009, there were 47.8 legally induced abortions per 100 live births – ten years ago (1999), this ratio was 116.7 legally induced abortions per 100 live births.

Tallinn’s pregnancy crisis centre head Küllike Lillestik said that the fall in the number of abortions is due to a whole set of reasons: first, that sexual education has improved; second, pregnancy crisis counselling which educates young mothers who have just given birth for them to avoid unwanted pregnancies is more available and third, the availability of family therapy has improved.

She said that availability of contraceptives shouldn’t be a problem for a long time already, the issue is in an early education of young people.

“The preventive system is quietly gearing up, but unfortunately practices show that it isn’t good yet. There are a lot of cases of putting out the fire still,” Lillestik said.