The Effect of Previous Induced Abortions on the Transition from No Children to the First Child among Danish Women in the 1980s and 1990s

Louise Stage, University of Copenhagen
Marie-Louise H. Hansen, University of Copenhagen
Lisbeth B. Knudsen, Aalborg University
Lone Schmidt, University of Copenhagen
Niels Keiding, University of Copenhagen

The focus of this paper is to study on a national basis how the event of an induced abortion (henceforth just termed ‘abortion’) modifies the transition to first birth for Danish women aged 20-39 years in the period 1981-2001, taking into account also educational status, marital status, and urbanization. The data are obtained by linking several national public registers in Denmark using the unique personal identification number. We are unaware of the existence of similar studies elsewhere. Previous abortions increased the first birth probability, though this effect was almost entirely confined to currently single women. For cohabiting women, previous abortions had a minimal effect on the first birth probability, while for married women there was no effect. There were complex interactions between education – whether studied as education completed at age of first abortion or currently completed education – and abortion status, on the first birth probability.