More than ******* abortions were performed in Russia in 2023. Starting from over *** millio* abortions recorded in the country in 2000, the number of terminated pregnancies has continuously decreased over time. The figures include induced abortions as well as miscarriages. The abortion rate in Russia stood at *** procedures per 1,000 live births in 2022. How is abortion regulated in Russia? Abortions are legal in Russia up to the 12th week of pregnancy and up to the 22nd week in cases of rape. They are conducted in state as well as private medical facilities. In 2022, approximately ********* of all pregnancy terminations in the country were conducted in commercial clinics. However, over the past decade, the laws regarding abortion have been tightened, allowing for fewer reasons for pregnancy termination. Moreover, there are proposals to ban abortions in private clinics. In a ranking of European policies by progressiveness and openness to abortion, Russia listed below most Western European countries. Contraception use in Russia Russia was one of the lowest-ranking countries in Europe by access to modern contraception. Approximately ** percent of Russian women aged 15 to 49 years used hormonal contraceptives, while ***** percent used an intrauterine device (IUD). In 2023, the country’s health ministry increased control over the sale and storage of mifepristone and misoprostol, medicines for pregnancy termination.

ContextThe last decade witnessed growing differences in abortion dynamics in Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine despite demographic, social, and historical similarities of these nations. This paper investigates changes in birth control practices in the three countries and searches for an explanation of the diverging trends in abortion. MethodsOfficial abortion and contraceptive use statistics, provided by national statistical agencies, were analysed. Respective laws and other legal documents were examined and compared between the three countries. To disclose inter-country differences in prevalence of the modern methods of contraception and its association with major demographic and social factors, an analysis of data from national sample surveys was performed, including binary logistic regression. ResultsThe growing gap in abortion rate in Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine is a genuine phenomenon, not a statistical artefact. The examination of abortion and prevalence of contraception based on official statistics and three national sample surveys did not reveal any unambiguous factors that could explain differences in abortion dynamics in Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine. However, it is very likely that the cause of the inter-country discrepancies lies in contraceptive behavior itself, in adequacies of contraceptive knowledge and practices. Additionally, large differences in government policies, which are very important in shaping contraceptive practices of the population, were detected. ConclusionSince the end of the 1990s, the Russian government switched to archaic ideology in the area of reproductive health and family planning and neglects evidence-based arguments. Such an extreme turn in the governmental position is not observed in Belarus or Ukraine. This is an important factor contributing to the slowdown in the decrease of abortion rates in Russia.