Experiencing a Teenage Abortion in France: Results from the 2007 National Survey of Abortion Patients

Caroline Moreau, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)
Nathalie Bajos, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)

While more than 30,000 teenagers had abortions in France in 2007 (14.3% of abortions), little is known about their abortion experience. We explore their patterns of access to abortion services and their use of contraception before and after the procedure. The data are drawn from the French National Survey of Abortion Patients conducted in 2007, comprising 1,525 women ages 13-19. Half of teenagers (47%) had a medical abortion. A majority (66%) of pregnancies followed a contraceptive failure, mostly due to condom slippage or breakage (26%), or inconsistent use of the pill (20%). In 68% of cases, teenagers received a prescription for a more effective method than the one they were using before. However, 19.6% received no post-abortion prescription for contraception. While most teens switch to more effective methods of contraception after an abortion, only a minority receives a prescription for a long-acting method.