On average, each Vietnamese woman has 2.5 abortions.

Vietnam is one of the three countries with the highest abortion rate in the world, with a rate of 2.5 abortions per woman of childbearing age, of which 20% are minors.

Speaking on the occasion of World Contraception Day on September 26, Professor Nguyen Thi Ngoc Phuong, Vice President of the Vietnam Obstetrics and Gynecology Association, said that the total abortion rate among Vietnamese women is currently 2.5. This means that on average, each Vietnamese woman undergoes 2.5 abortions in her entire childbearing life. Out of every 4 abortions, one is unsafe, causing death or leaving temporary or long-term physical and psychological complications.

At the two largest maternity hospitals in the South, Tu Du and Hung Vuong, the number of women coming for abortions has remained almost constant over the years. In 2015, Tu Du Hospital received more than 28,000 abortions. In the first 6 months of 2016, on average, nearly 2,400 abortions were performed each month. At Hung Vuong Hospital, the number was 1,200.

Abortion consultation room at Hung Vuong Hospital. Photo: Le Phuong.

According to Professor Ngoc Phuong, the need for contraception among women is very high, but many women use passive contraception, are afraid to buy contraceptive pills, or use unsafe contraception in traditional ways such as ejaculation outside the vagina, monitoring the menstrual cycle, etc. Meanwhile, modern contraceptive methods must be used to effectively prevent unwanted pregnancies. For example, using male condoms is 86-93% effective, copper IUDs are 98-99% effective, and combined contraceptive pills are 98-99% effective if used according to instructions.

“There are still misunderstandings that cause birth control pills to be wrongly accused. Many people think that taking birth control pills causes infertility, strokes, cancer, etc., making women worried about using them,” Professor Phuong emphasized. In fact, in addition to preventing pregnancy, this type of pill also helps stabilize the menstrual cycle, reduces iron deficiency anemia due to less menstrual blood loss, does not delay pregnancy when stopping the pill, and reduces the risk of ovarian, endometrial, and colorectal cancer.

As for the IUD placement method, Dr. Phuong recommends that it should not be performed on women who have not given birth. There are many cases where the IUD is inserted when there are no children, and when they want to give birth again, the fallopian tubes are blocked and they have to go to infertility treatment, which is very difficult. Injections should also only be used on women over 40 years old, who have had the desired number of children.

Male and female sterilization measures are recommended for people over 40-45 years old, with the consent of both husband and wife. The use of hormonal pills is encouraged by the health sector for women of childbearing age. To reduce unwanted effects, a general health check-up should be performed before use and the doctor's instructions should be followed.

According to VNE