Abortion legislation

Legislation timeline

  • 1959: abortion is allowed in some specific cases. It was passed in 1959 and came into action in 1964
  • 1964: Legislation came into action
  • 1975: Act No. 50 (13 June)
  • 1978: Act No. 5 and regulations for the implementation of the Act (16 June)

Source: Abortion law (https://lovdata.no/dokument/NL/lov/1975-06-13-50)

Abortion conditions

Ground Gestational limit
To save a woman’s life No limit
Because foetal impairment No limit
To preserve a woman’s mental health
To preserve a woman’s physical health
For economic and social reasons
On request 12 weeks from LMP

Source: Abortion law (https://lovdata.no/dokument/NL/lov/1975-06-13-50)

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

 

Practical conditions

Medical abortion conditions

Place Prescription 1st drug taken 2nd drug taken
OB/GYN department of a hospital/clinic Yes Yes Yes
Another physician office No No No
Midwife office No No No
Abortion centre/clinic
At home No No Yes

Source: Norsk Gynekologisk Forening (https://legeforeningen.no/Fagmed/Norsk-gynekologisk-forening/)

Mandatory pre-abortion examinations

  • None

Involved healthcare professionals

  • Surgical abortion: obstetrician/gynaecologist (OB/GYN) or another physician
  • Medical abortion: OB/GYN, another physician, nurse or midwife under physician supervision

Abortion statistics

Abortion rates per 1.000 women aged 15-49

Source: https://thl.fi/en/web/thlfi-en/statistics-and-data/statistics-by-topic/sexual-and-reproductive-health/abortions/induced-abortions-in-the-nordic-countries

Overall number of induced abortions

Source: https://thl.fi/en/web/thlfi-en/statistics-and-data/statistics-by-topic/sexual-and-reproductive-health/abortions/induced-abortions-in-the-nordic-countries

Abortion ratio per 1.000 live births: 213 (2019)

Source: https://thl.fi/en/web/thlfi-en/statistics-and-data/statistics-by-topic/sexual-and-reproductive-health/abortions/induced-abortions-in-the-nordic-countries

Abortions performed “on request”: 95.4% (2018)

Source: http://statistikk.fhi.no/mfr/

Overall number of induced abortions vs. medical abortions

Source: https://thl.fi/en/web/thlfi-en/statistics-and-data/statistics-by-topic/sexual-and-reproductive-health/abortions/induced-abortions-in-the-nordic-countries

Induced abortions per gestational age

Unfortunately we have no data for this country.

Source: https://thl.fi/en/web/thlfi-en/statistics-and-data/statistics-by-topic/sexual-and-reproductive-health/abortions/induced-abortions-in-the-nordic-countries

Place of abortion

Source: Abortion law (https://lovdata.no/dokument/NL/lov/1975-06-13-50)

Characteristics of women having induced abortion

Unfortunately we have no data for this country.

Source: https://thl.fi/en/web/thlfi-en/statistics-and-data/statistics-by-topic/sexual-and-reproductive-health/abortions/induced-abortions-in-the-nordic-countries

Among women who had induced abortion:

  • 36% had at least 1 previous induced abortion in 2007-2011
  • 50% had at least 1 child in 2007-2010.

Fertility and contraception

Fertility rates in women aged 15-49

Source: https://thl.fi/en/web/thlfi-en/statistics-and-data/statistics-by-topic/sexual-and-reproductive-health/abortions/induced-abortions-in-the-nordic-countries

Women age at first birth

  • 29.5 years of age (2018)

Overall contraception data

  • Contraceptive prevalence rate was 136/1,000 women aged 15-39 in 2016 (excluding intra-uterine device (IUD) and contraceptive vaginal ring); oral contraceptive prevalence rate was 118/1,000.

Pre-abortion contraception

  • 19% of women who had abortion had a contraceptive method before abortion procedure (2007-2011).

Country-specific characteristics

  • Women have to give written consent.
  • Abortion is taught during health care professionals’ (HCPs’) medical studies.
  • All HCPs have the right to conscientiously object; they can avoid participating in the operation itself, but cannot refuse to help in pre- and post-operation care.
  • Both surgical and medical abortions are free of charge for resident women. Non-resident women have to pay between 260 € (medical) and 900 – 1,000 € (surgical) unless they are registered citizens or they applied for asylum.

Download statistics of Norway

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Abbreviations

  • EFTA = European Free Trade Association
  • EU = European Union
  • IUD = intra-uterine device
  • LARC = long-acting reversible contraception
  • LMP = last menstruation period
  • GYN = gynaecologist
  • HCP = health care professional
  • hCG = human chorionic gonadotropin
  • HIV = human immunodeficiency virus
  • OB = obstetrician
  • Rh = Rhesus
  • US = ultrasound

References

A special thanks to our correspondents for contributing in data collection.
Please contact info@exelgyn.com if you have additional data or would like to comment information

Page last updated: 31 March 2023