In Belgium, 1 in 5 women has an abortion in the course of her life. In 2019, when the most recent official figures were published, the figure for registered abortions was 18,027. The frequency of abortions carried out is also linked to the female fertility curve: the figures are highest in the group aged 20-29. The average age is 29. The myth persists that mainly teenage girls become pregnant unintentionally.
On average, a woman is fertile for 35 years. That is an incredibly long time. In theory, she has a chance of becoming pregnant 13 times a year. That’s over 450 chances in a lifetime to get pregnant. If you know that a woman today has an average of 1.55 children, then you know that controlling your fertility is a real feat. It takes a lot of effort and a dose of luck never to become pregnant unplanned in the course of your life.
