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Induced Abortion Statistics

2005

82-223-X


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Explanatory notes for the tables

Table 1 Induced abortions, by area of report and type of facility performing the abortion

  1. Sources: Statistics Canada, Therapeutic Abortion Database; Canadian Institute for Health Information, Therapeutic Abortion Survey. Data users should be aware of certain limitations to the Therapeutic Abortion Survey. There are recognized issues concerning coverage, increased submission of aggregate counts instead of detailed records and an increased reliance on age estimation. Further information on methods and data quality is available in the "Definitions, data sources and methods" section on the Statistics Canada website, under the survey number 3209.
  2. The number of induced abortions is provided by the province or territory in which the abortion was performed. Counts include abortions performed in Canadian hospitals and clinics on Canadian residents and non-residents of Canada. Where indicated, the counts also include abortions performed in the United States on Canadian residents, for data years prior to 2004.
  3. From 1971 to 2003, health departments in several American states, especially those along the Canada and United States border supplied information about abortions obtained by Canadian residents. These counts, however, should be regarded as a minimum estimate because not all American states submitted reports, some private clinics may not report to the state health department or the residence of the patient was not reported. The reports did not specify if the abortion took place in a hospital or clinic. As of 2004, this information is no longer collected.
  4. Abortions performed in clinics were first reported by Quebec in 1978. In other provinces such clinics came into operation soon after January 1988, when the Supreme Court of Canada struck down the 1969 amended abortion law.
  5. Caution should be taken when comparing 1999 and later data years with data from 1998 and earlier. As of 1999, the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-term Care no longer maintains a system for the collection of detailed information on abortions performed in clinics in Ontario. Ontario now uses the billing system of the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) to provide counts of clinic abortions to the Therapeutic Abortion Survey. As a result, information is no longer available for clinic abortions performed on non-residents of Ontario or on Ontario residents who do not submit a claim to OHIP. A comparison of the data collected using both sources for the years 1995 to 1998 shows that the new data source underestimated the clinic abortions performed on Ontario residents by an average of 5.4% (950 cases) per year, or approximately 1% of all abortions performed in Canada. The new source does not include non-resident cases which averaged 70 cases per year or .4% of total clinic abortions performed in Ontario.
  6. For the 2003 and 2005 data year, a facility in British Columbia did not report to the Therapeutic Abortion Survey. Counts were estimated for these two facilities based on the number of abortions reported by them in previous years.
  7. Nunavut came into being officially as a Territory of Canada on April 1, 1999. Reports of abortions for 1999, however, are based on the full calendar year (January to December). In previous years, the totals for the Northwest Territories included residents of what became Nunavut.

Table 2 Induced abortions, by type of facility and area of residence of patient

  1. Sources: Statistics Canada, Therapeutic Abortion Database and Demography Division (population estimates); Canadian Institute for Health Information, Therapeutic Abortion Survey. Data users should be aware of certain limitations to the Therapeutic Abortion Survey. There are recognized issues concerning coverage, increased submission of aggregate counts instead of detailed records and an increased reliance on age estimation. Further information on methods and data quality is available in the "Definitions, data sources and methods" section on the Statistics Canada website, under the survey number 3209.
  2. Induced abortions by the usual area of residence of the person obtaining the abortion. Counts include abortions performed on Canadian residents in hospitals and clinics in Canada. Where indicated, the counts also include abortions performed on non-residents of Canada obtaining an abortion in Canada and abortions performed in the United States on Canadian residents, for data years prior to 2004. Rates and ratios exclude non-residents of Canada.
  3. From 1971 to 2003, health departments in several American states, especially those along the Canada and United States border supplied information about abortions obtained by Canadian residents. These counts, however, should be regarded as a minimum estimate because not all American states submitted reports, some private clinics may not report to the state health department or the residence of the patient was not reported. The reports did not specify if the abortion took place in a hospital or clinic. As of 2004, this information is no longer collected.
  4. Abortions performed in clinics were first reported by Quebec in 1978. In other provinces such clinics came into operation soon after January 1988, when the Supreme Court of Canada struck down the 1969 amended abortion law.
  5. Caution should be taken when comparing 1999 and later data years with data from 1998 and earlier. As of 1999, the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-term Care no longer maintains a system for the collection of detailed information on abortions performed in clinics in Ontario. Ontario now uses the billing system of the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) to provide counts of clinic abortions to the Therapeutic Abortion Survey. As a result, information is no longer available for clinic abortions performed on non-residents of Ontario or on Ontario residents who do not submit a claim to OHIP. A comparison of the data collected using both sources for the years 1995 to 1998 shows that the new data source underestimated the clinic abortions performed on Ontario residents by an average of 5.4% (950 cases) per year, or approximately 1% of all abortions performed in Canada. The new source does not include non-resident cases which averaged 70 cases per year or 0.4% of total clinic abortions performed in Ontario.
  6. For the 2003 and 2005 data year, a facility in British Columbia did not report to the Therapeutic Abortion Survey. Counts were estimated for these two facilities based on the number of abortions reported by them in previous years.
  7. Nunavut came into being officially as a Territory of Canada on April 1, 1999. Reports of abortions for 1999, however, are based on the full calendar year (January to December). In previous years, the totals for the Northwest Territories included residents of what became Nunavut.

Table 3 Selected induced abortions statistics, by age group and area of residence of patient

  1. Sources: Statistics Canada, Canadian Vital Statistics, Birth Database; Canadian Institute for Health Information, Therapeutic Abortion Database. Data users should be aware of certain limitations to the Therapeutic Abortion Survey. There are recognized issues concerning coverage, increased submission of aggregate counts instead of detailed records and an increased reliance on age estimation. Further information on methods and data quality is available in the "Definitions, data sources and methods" section on the Statistics Canada website, under the survey number 3209.
  2. Induced abortion counts are taken from the Therapeutic Abortion Survey that collects information on abortions performed in hospitals and clinics in Canada, as well as on abortions performed on Canadian residents in selected American states, for data years prior to 2004. Abortions performed on non-residents of Canada are excluded.
  3. The "All ages" group is the total number of induced abortions performed on Canadian residents. Rates for the "All ages" group is based on the population of females aged 14 to 44. For the number of abortions per 100 live births to females in the "All ages" group, the denominator is the total number of births reported for all ages.
  4. Rates for the "Under 20 years" age group are based on the female population aged 14 to 19 years.
  5. Rates for the "Under 15 years" age group are based on the female population aged 14.
  6. Rates for the "40 years and over" age group are based on the female population aged 40 to 44.
  7. For the "All ages" category, the "Proportion of induced abortions across age groups" is not calculated. For the "Age unknown" category, only the "Number of induced abortions" is provided.
  8. When data years 1995, 1996 and 1997 were originally released, age estimations were not calculated for the counts of clinic abortions where the area of residence was unknown and the age was unknown. Age estimations have now been calculated for these counts, using the known national age distribution for hospital abortions.
  9. The population estimates used to calculate the rates for data years 1974 to present were taken from CANSIM table 051-0001: Estimates of population, by age group and sex, Canada, provinces and territories, annual.
  10. Percentage distribution of induced abortions across age groups, excluding abortions with no reported age.
  11. Caution should be taken when comparing 1999 and later data years with data from 1998 and earlier. As of 1999, the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-term Care no longer maintains a system for the collection of detailed information on abortions performed in clinics in Ontario. Ontario now uses the billing system of the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) to provide counts of clinic abortions to the Therapeutic Abortion Survey. As a result, information is no longer available for clinic abortions performed on non-residents of Ontario or on Ontario residents who do not submit a claim to OHIP. A comparison of the data collected using both sources for the years 1995 to 1998 shows that the new data source underestimated the clinic abortions performed on Ontario residents by an average of 5.4% (950 cases) per year, or approximately 1% of all abortions performed in Canada. The new source does not include non-resident cases which averaged 70 cases per year or 0.4% of total clinic abortions performed in Ontario.
  12. For the 1998 data year, Ontario reported 2,795 clinic abortions with no age group information. The known proportion of Ontario residents who obtained an abortion in hospital was used to estimate the age group of these clinic counts. British Columbia also reported 725 clinic counts with no age group information. The known proportion of British Columbia residents who obtained an abortion in hospital was used to estimate the age group of these clinic counts.
  13. For the 2003 and 2005 data year, a facility in British Columbia did not report to the Therapeutic Abortion Survey. Counts were estimated for these two facilities based on the number of abortions reported by them in previous years.