Evolution of Abortion in Romania

1. Women Encouraged to bear children

1.1. Families protected by government

1.2. Women encouraged to contibute through labor and child bearing

1.3. Abortion was legal and readily available

1.4. The requirement of work and pressure to bear children created double and triple burdens on women

1.5. Abortions resulted in a drop in birthrates in the early1960's

2. Abortion banned and child bearing rewarded

2.1. 1966 - Abortion officially banned

2.2. Financial allowances and child-support benefits implemented

2.3. Awards and privileges for women bearing many children

2.4. Birth rate initially rose but dropped again by 1983

2.5. Unwanted children turned over to the state

2.6. Wealthier educated women obtained contraceptives and illegal abortions

2.7. "lower" class women had no access so bore more children

3. Abortion Legalized

3.1. Abortion legalized the day after Ceausescu's execution

3.2. Abortion is most common form of contraception because there was nothing else available and no education 70-100 daily by 1990.

3.3. Fall of Ceausescu sparked mass international adoption of Romanian babies

3.4. Baby trading became common as the economy suffered

3.5. New efforts to educate for family health planning.