Vietnam ranks first in Asia and 5th worldwide for the abortion rate with an annual average of one million cases, the Ministry of Health said at a conference supported by France’s Doctors Without Borders in Hanoi. As many as 83 out of 1,000 women in reproductive ages get abortions and every woman during their reproduction life has an average 2.5 times of abortions, the ministry said. The reasons for their abortions are attributed to delaying childbirth, facing financial difficulties, social pressure and sex selection, experts said at the conference. Local experts also attributed poor reproductive education to rampant abortion in Vietnam. In addition, more than a third of young Vietnamese people lack access to contraceptive methods, statistics by the Ministry of Health showed in 2013. “Adolescent pregnancy is not just a health issue. It is deeply rooted in poverty, gender inequality, violence, forced and child marriage, power imbalances between girls and their partners,” said Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin, executive director of the United Nations Population Fund. Moreover, legalizing abortion while considering reproductive health a taboo has worsened the situation, experts said. (Tuoitre.vn May 21)
