20 September 2007

France: Acceptability of induced abortion for adolescents

This study investigated the factors affecting the acceptability in France of abortions.

Eighty study participants from Toulouse and 124 from Metz judged the acceptability of abortion in 64 vignettes composed of five factors: 1) the adolescent’s age (15 or 17.5 years), 2) the adolescent’s plans to continue schooling or not, 3) the fetus’ age (1, 2, 3, or 4 months), 4) the adolescent’s parents’ agreement or not, and 5) the agreement or not of baby’s father.

Three clusters were noted:

  • 1) abortion is never acceptable (8% of participants);
  • 2) abortion is always acceptable (23%);
  • 3) acceptability of abortion depends on the circumstances (63%).

    In the majority cluster (3), all five factors had significant effects, but the fetus’s age accounted for most of the variance (78%).

    The authors concluded that most subjects in this study judged, in accordance with French law, that the acceptability of induced abortion in minors depends on the circumstances and, in particular, on the fetus’ age.

    Mirail University.

    Acceptability in France of induced abortion for adolescents. Sastre MT, Peccarisi C, Legrain E, Mullet E, Sorum P. The American Journal of Bioethics. 2007 Aug;7(8):26-32.