Abortion legislation | Practical conditions | Abortion statistics
Characteristics of women having induced abortion | Fertility and contraception data | Country-specific characteristics
1959: abortion is allowed in some specific cases. It was passed in 1959 and came into action in 1964
1975: Act No. 50 (13 June)
1978: Act No. 5 and regulations for the implementation of the Act (16 June)
2016: Interpretation of the abortion Act (17 February). It was made clear that foeticid is covered by the actual law, that does not differentiate between reducing number of foetuses or terminating the entire pregnancy.
2019: New legislation related to fetal reduction. In 2016 it was specified that fetal reduction was covered by the current law with abortion on request up to 12 weeks. In the new legislation passed in 2019 two doctors have to consent to all fetal reductions regardless of gestational age for the same reasons/restrictions as one can grant abortions after 12 weeks gestation.
Legal conditions
- Written consent by the woman
- Health personnel are obliged to offer counselling on contraception but the women can deny it.
Specific conditions for minors
- Parent’s (or guardian’s) consent required for minors under 16.
Abortion legislation | Practical conditions | Abortion statistics | Characteristics of women having induced abortion
Fertility and contraception data | Country-specific characteristics
Women have to give written consent.
The slides presented are freely accessible. They may be used, copied, displayed or distributed provided that their source is given
SOURCES
Abortion law (https://lovdata.no/dokument/NL/lov/1975-06-13-50)
IPPF European Network – Updated January 2012 (http://www.ippfen.org/)
Interpretation of the abortion Act (https://www.regjeringen.no/no/dokumenter/-2—tolkning-av-abortloven/id2476193/)
Thesis by Mette LØKELAND (https://bora.uib.no/handle/1956/15618)
Norsk Gynekologisk Forening (https://legeforeningen.no/Fagmed/Norsk-gynekologisk-forening/)
Norsk Gynekologisk Forening (https://legeforeningen.no/Fagmed/Norsk-gynekologisk-forening/Veiledere/Veileder-i-gynekologi-2015/Provosert-abort11/)
National Institute for Health and Welfare: Induced abortions in the Nordic countries 2011
Folkehelseinstituttet (https://www.fhi.no/globalassets/dokumenterfiler/rapporter/2017/rapport-om-svangerskapsavbrot-for-2017.pdf)
https://www.fhi.no/globalassets/dokumenterfiler/rapporter/2019/rapport-om-svangerskapsavbrot-for-2018.pdf
Norwegian Institute of Public Health (http://statistikk.fhi.no/mfr/)
Eskild A et al. Childbirth or termination of pregnancy: does paid employment matter? A population study of women in reproductive age in Norway. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 2016;95(5):513-8. doi: 10.1111/aogs.12867.
Justad-Berg RT et al. Characteristics of women with repeat termination of pregnancy: a study of all requests for pregnancy termination in Norway during 2007-2011. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 2015;94(11):1175-80. doi: 10.1111/aogs.12714.
Statistics Norway (https://www.ssb.no/en/befolkning/artikler-og-publikasjoner/fertility-declined-to-record-low)
Folkehelseinstituttet (http://www.norpd.no/)
Norwegian Institute of Public Health (http://statistikkbank.fhi.no/mfr/)
Lovdata https://lovdata.no/dokument/LTI/lov/2019-06-21-44
Statistics Norway https://www.ssb.no/befolkning/artikler-og-publikasjoner/fruktbarheten-fortsetter-a-synke
We thank Dr. Mette LØKELAND for her help in data collection.
If you have additional data or if you would like to comment some information, please contact info@exelgyn.com.
Page updated in February 2020