Every year the Ministry of Health publishes a report on the voluntary termination of pregnancy in Spain and, although it is not something that makes me sleepy, it is true that I usually keep an eye on it because, as a pediatric nurse, I am an agent of health whose mission is to carry out sex education actions in schools and institutes, and one of the key issues is that of contraceptive methods and methods that should not be used as such.
The data for the year 2016 are not public yet, but they are those referring to the year 2015. When observing them, a statistic always catches my attention, that of women who undergo an abortion when they have already done it on other previous occasions. And among all the data, especially the one that speaks of those who have already done it on five or more occasions: 781 women voluntarily aborted in 2015 for the sixth time.
The report data
The report, published by the Ministry of Health, Social Services and Equality, says on page 23, in section "5 or more IVE", which during 2015 were seven hundred eighty one women who, at a minimum, aborted for the sixth time.
It is true that 781 women out of a total of 94,188 women who underwent an abortion in that year are very few, but the fact remains surprising. Without a doubt, it is to reflect on it, as is the fact that 970 women will abort for the fifth time, that 2,567 did it for the fourth time and that 7,743 did it for the third time. If we add them all, we have that 12,061 women had aborted at least twice before. This is 12.8% of women who underwent the intervention, which is more than 12.3% of the women who did so in 2013.
Why did they abort for the sixth time?
It is clear that every woman will have her motives and we are also nobody to criticize or make value judgments about it. Therefore, I am going to limit myself to explaining what the report says. As we read on page 38, of the 781 women who aborted for the sixth time or more, 109 women live alone and have their own income and 57 live alone but have no income; 266 live with the couple and have their own income and 243 live with the couple but have no income of their own; 16 live with their parents and have their own income and 49 also live with their parents but have no income; and 21 women live with other people and have income and 4 live with other people but have no income.
It is true that a woman can abort if she wishes, because currently the law allows it (and I think we are the majority who believe that this should be so, because a woman should never be condemned for deciding to abort), but I do believe that we can agree that the data in question is striking enough as to consider that something may be failing. And I say failing, because a voluntary termination of pregnancy is not a contraceptive method, and to achieve six pregnancies, many unprotected sex is necessary (usually many more than six relationships).
Therefore, it seems that we must continue to emphasize educate girls and boys in respect for his own body and respect for the body of the other person. Also in respect for life and the ability to breed it. And also, in respect for an intervention that may be a solution to a problem, but not the only solution; and towards a social security system that allows it and that should be used, but perhaps not so much abuse.
