An article in the German magazine “der Spiegel” claims that the number of abortions in Germany has been increasing significantly since 2022. The fact check shows: Mostly True.
The article in “Der Spiegel” magazine refers to statistics from the Federal Statistical Office. Taking a look at the figures from the Federal Statistical Office, they show an increase since 2022, but not a drastic one.
Jana Rabsztyn, head of pro familia in Wilhelmshaven, Germany, confirms a slight increase, but qualifies: “I wouldn’t call it a huge leap”. In 2021, 238 pregnancy conflict consultations were carried out in Wilhelmshaven and district of Friesland, and the number rose to 291 the following year. Rabsztyn considers fluctuations to be normal and expects them to level out, including this year: “Looking back, I would say from a feeling that it hasn’t changed this year and will roughly level out again”.
When analyzing the distribution of abortions in the individual quarters, it is noticeable that there is a higher number of abortions in the first quarter of each year. Midwife Leona Jansen explains this as follows: “It’s actually because it’s cold in winter, people cuddle up more”. In Germany, abortions are only legally permitted up to the 12th week of pregnancy “(…) and if the pregnancies occur in winter, the limit is in the first quarter, which means January, February, March”, explains Jansen.
With regard to the factcheck, it can be assumed that the number of abortions in the last two quarters, which have not yet been included in the statistics, will fall again in 2023.
The wording in the article could be interpreted as an exaggeration, or at least omit important background information, according to Rabsztyn. She points out that the statistics at hand show that abortions in Germany have actually been falling over the last 25 years and that there are always fluctuations, but there are no signs of a clear increase.
Overall downward trend and the reasons
A clear downward trend can be seen in the statistics of the Federal Statistical Office in 2020 and 2021. Jana Rabsztyn cites the possible lack of contact during the coronavirus period, when there were “almost no disco visits, infidelities of affairs”, as a possible reason for this trend. A pregnancy without a stable partnership could have been the reason for a decision against pregnancy. The slight increase again from 2022 seems logical, as the pandemic measures have decreased again.
With regard to the overall trend, Rabsztyn says that the decline can be explained by improved sex education, including on the internet via social media such as YouTube. “Access is simply easier and more anonymous”, says Rabsztyn, describing the research into sex education on the internet. According to online studies by ARD and ZDF, the use of the internet in Germany for research using search engines, among other things, has become increasingly popular since 2003. The use and popularity of social media such as YouTube has also increased since 2007. This could explain the sharp decline in the number of abortions since 2004, which can be seen in the statistics.
Rabsztyn also suspects that the introduction of the morning-after-pill, which has been available to buy since 2000, and over-the-counter access to it, which has been available in Germany since 2015, may have led to the prevention of unwanted pregnancies and thus reduced the abortion rate.
Conclusion
Abortions in Germany have actually been on the rise since 2022. However, the increase is not drastic, and based on the past few years and the opinion of experts, the figures are expected to level off. It should also be noted that, despite fluctuations, there has been a clear downward trend over the last 25 years. These results of the factcheck mean that the claim that abortions in Germany have risen drastically since 2022 can be classified as Mostly True.
RESEARCH | ARTICLE – Annika Knoke, Sandra Krauter and Emily Jeschin, Jade University of Applied Sciences, Germany
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