Dip in number of Swiss teen abortions
The number of Swiss teenagers having abortions has declined, a new report said.
Last year, 11,092 abortions were carried out in Switzerland, with fewer cases recorded involving teenagers, newly published figures said.
The rate of terminations among adult women aged 15 to 44 has remained stable since 2004, while the rate of abortions among 15-19 year olds fell to 4.5 per 1,000 women, compared to 5.5 in 2007, said a statement by the Federal Statistics Office.
Last year, one percent of all abortions was carried out on teenagers younger than 16.
Women aged 20-24 have the highest rate at 10.4 per 1,000 individuals, almost 23 percent of all abortions.
Foreigners account for 10.8 cases out of 1,000, while the rate for Swiss women is 4.3 per 1,000. In Switzerland, abortion is legal during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.
The debate seems set to be rekindled after a non-politically aligned conservative committee announced on Monday it had gathered enough signatures to force a vote on whether health insurance should cover the costs of abortions.
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