Teen abortions exceed births
Ontario teens are increasingly turning to abortion as a method of birth control, a new study has found.
Women aged 15 to 19 registered more than 150 abortions for every 100 live births, the study says. That ratio drops significantly once women break into their twenties, so the average for all ages is approximately 37 abortions per 100 live births.
"As expected, age was the most important predictor of both the abortion rate and the number of abortions per 100 live births," the study says. "Neighbourhood income was also associated with the abortion ratio among women residing in the lowest-income neighbourhoods."
Abortions are also more common in urban areas.
The abortion ratio doesn't differentiate between medically necessary abortions and those had because of a personal choice.
The study used 2007 data from health insurance providers, public hospital discharge information and several other databases.
The study is part of a broad analysis of women's health trends in Ontario.
The Project for an Ontario Women's Health Evidence-Based Report's next chapter will focus on HIV infection.
Overall, though, the reproductive health chapter found that Ontario is very good at delivering equal health-care opportunities to all people regardless of financial stress or education. There were disparities, however, based on geography.