Hungarian Studies Newsletter, 1975 (3. évfolyam, 6-8. szám)
1975 / 6. szám
9. if the pregnant woman or the husband is imprisoned for a long period; and 10. if the woman has social reasons for wanting the abortion. Other regulations governing the performance of induced abortion remain largely as they were stated in the 1956 law. Abortions may be performed only at inpatient hospitals and maternity homes and only until the thirteenth week of pregnancy. In the case of single women under age 20, this limit may be extended to the eighteenth week. The application for abortion must be made in person and must be preceded by a gynecological examination. The applicant must pay for the abortion unless it is for medical reasons, in which case it is free. In the past, the fee was generally 300 Ft (about US$13) for two days of hospitalization (the legal minimum). The Council of Ministers has requested, however, that the price be raised “to cover completely the actual costs” to 600-1,000 Ft. In addition, after the termination of pregnancy the woman must receive two days paid leave. The decline in the number of induced abortions has been marked since the 1973 Decision of the Council of Ministers came into effect. The number of induced abortions performed during the first three months of 1974 was 57 percent of the number performed during the same period one year earlier. Contraception Contraceptive Methods The traditional methods of contraception in Hungary include the condom, used since the beginning of the century, the vaginal pessary, produced and widely used since 1949, and spermicidal jelly and foam, introduced in 1954. All of these methods are readily available at low cost. The oral contraceptive was introduced in 1967 in the form of a Hungarian product called Infecundin. Another form, Bisecurin, was introduced in 1971. Both are combination pills. The pill is available to all women over age 18 (or to women under age 18 who are married, have delivered a child, or have had an induced abortion) by prescription only, following an examination and laboratory tests at a National Health Service clinic or hospital.4 Users must have reexaminations at six-month intervals. Prescriptions are filled at pharmacies; one month’s supply of Infecundin costs 31 Ft (US$1.25) and of Bisecurin, 24 Ft. A locally developed and produced intrauterine device was officially introduced in 1971. Insertion may be performed only in hospitals and maternity homes. Use is limited to women who have already delivered a child or to women who are over age 18 and should not become pregnant for medical reasons. Although the woman must pay 13 Ft for the device, no fee is charged for insertion. An examination is required following the first menstrual period after insertion and every six months thereafter. About 70,000 IUDs were inserted during the 18 months following its introduction. Male or female sterilization for the purpose of contraception is very rare. There are no laws governing the procedure, but the operation is performed only for reasons of health. Contraceptive Practice A fertility, family planning, and birth control study (subsequently referred to as a TCS study) conducted by the Demographic Research Institute in 1965-1966 found that 73 percent of married women of reproductive age had used some method of contraception during their lives and that 63 percent were currently practicing contraception. The “natural” methods of withdrawal and rhythm accounted for 66 percent of all contraceptors (see Table 8). In rural areas, the overwhelming majority of those practicing contraception use natural methods (withdrawal, douching, prolonged lactation, periodical or complete abstinence). The portion of contraceptors using withdrawal amounts to 65.2 percent in rural areas, 48.5 percent in urban areas, and 40.9 percent in the capital * Since 1973 district doctors and doctors of industrial plants, most of them general practitioners, have been empowered to prescribe the pill. The doctors decide whether laboratory tests are necessary. Social Insurance covers 85 percent of the cost of the pills, as is the case for other medicines. city of Budapest. Of the other natural methods, douching combined with rhythm plays a greater part in urban areas, and prolonged lactation is popular in rural areas. Mechanical and chemical methods are most evident in urban areas. They are used by 39.2 percent of contraceptors in Budapest, 35.5 percent in the urban areas, and 21.1 percent in the rural areas. Sterilization (for health reasons) is also more frequent among urban than among rural women. Prior to the introduction of oral contraceptives, the pattern of contraceptive behavior indicated that married couples desiring no children were forced to resort to induced abortion because of the lack of effective and appropriate contraceptive methods and information and not because of carelessness or irresponsibility. Since the introduction of orals, all other methods have declined in popularity. Although the percentage practicing withdrawal decreased the most, withdrawal is still the method chosen by more than one-half of those practicing contraception. At present, about 15 percent of the female population of reproductive age use orals (73 percent Bisecurin and 27 percent Infecundin). Orals are most popular among young women: of all women using orals, 87 percent are under age 35. Thirty-two percent of all women aged 20-24 and 28 percent of those aged 25-29 use orals. Family Planning Education Although abortion is recognized under the law as justified and humane in certain circumstances, it is felt that abortion should not be used as a TABLE 8 Percentage distribution of married women practicing contraception by primary method used, Hungary, 1965-1966 and 1970 Primary method 1965-1966 1970 Withdrawal 62 53 Condom 15 14 Douche 5 4 Pessary 5 3 Rhythm 4 4 Chemical methods 4 4 Oral 0 10 Other 5 8 All methods 100 100 13
