«Contraceptive revolution» and abortion dynamics in Krasnoyarsk Region in the 1960–1970s

The paper is devoted to the analysis of the connection between the dynamics of abortions in the Krasnoyarsk Region in the 1960–1970s and the availability and prevalence of new birth control methods (primarily intrauterine devices, hormonal contraceptives, and sterilization). The main sources are annual reports on the organization of obstetric and gynecological care for the population, market reports on obstetrics, and materials from regional conferences of midwives. The paper examines the dynamics of the number of abortions and their territorial differentiation in the context of the development of the region’s productive forces during the period of accelerated urbanization. An assessment is made of the general state of the region’s social infrastructure, primarily the obstetrics system and the gynecological service as a factor in abortion behavior. The ideas of Soviet doctors and researchers about women’s motivation for abortions are analyzed. A hypothesis has been put forward that the high level of abortions is due to the insufficient level of development of the social infrastructure in general and the obstetrics system (including antenatal clinics) in particular, which were not ready for the mass introduction of modern contraceptives, which made abortion the most accessible and effective way to avoid the birth of unwanted children. The main reasons for this were the historical specifics of the Krasnoyarsk Region, which had an underdeveloped health care system that was experiencing a stage of extensive growth during the period under review, as well as the suspicious attitude of doctors and managers towards new contraceptives, some of which were perceived as dangerous (hormonal contraceptives), and some as unacceptable within the framework of the Soviet system of values (sterilization).