TNAG-0977-FCO40-1196-Legislation-for-the-abortion-law-in-Hong-Kong-1980 — Page 63

་ s"ན་་"*

Notes on Statistical Table at Annex D

CONFIDENTIAL

(a) Includes craftsmen and production-process workers.

(b) Includes farmers, miners, workers in recreation,

transport and communication.

(c) The average rate for termination per 1,000 women aged

15 to 44 in 1979 is 6.4. This compares with 10 per

1,000 women in this age-group in England and Wales in 1971: with the incidence for subsequent years believed to have risen.

(d) The incidence of terminations among the different races

and various socio-economic groups is not seriously out of line with the overall composition of the population of Hong Kong. For example :

(i)

about 95% of the women who had their pregnancies terminated were Chinese;

(ii) less than 20% of the women were in

the executive or professional group; and

(iii) over 80% were in the age group of 20-39

which is the normal period of maximum fertility.

(e) About 16% of the terminations were performed on unmarried

women. This compares with 48% of terminations performed in the United Kingdom in 1971 being on single women, and this rate is reported to have risen in subsequent years.

(f) The table shows that 72% of the terminations were performed

in private hospitals and about 22% in subvented hospitals. The low rate of the utilization of the facilities in Government hospitals was probably due to the need for patients to be referred to a consultant for a further The heavy examination which might take up to a week. demand on the Government hospitals for general services to the public was possibly another factor. Accordingly, pregnant women might therefore prefer a somewhat faster service from the non-Government sector.

t