The drop in abortions among Denmark’s teenage girls is continuing, according to the country’s statistics office, Danmarks Statistik.
Figures from the national statistics agency showed that the number of abortions performed on girls in the 15-to-19-year-old age bracket declined from 2,895 in 2008 to 2,051 in 2014.
Furthermore, when considering that the total population of girls in that age group in the Scandinavian country increased by 11,000 during the six-year period, the fall is even more significant. In 2008, the number of abortions per 1,000 girls stood at 18, compared to just 12 last year.
The fall in abortions shows that young people are now making better choices, according to Niels Sando, chief consultant at the health authority Sundhedsstyrelsen. He described it as “great news”, saying that all things considered it was apparent that young people were becoming more sensible. He also noted that in addition to the decline in abortions, they were also smoking and drinking less than before.
Sundhedsstyrelsen revealed that the number of chlamydia cases had fallen too, which it said indicated young people were now more conscious about using condoms.
The total number of abortion procedures carried out in 2014 was the lowest since the Scandinavian country legalised the practice in 1973. Overall, 15,097 abortions were performed.