ABSTRACT
Passing the medical abortion law in 2006 brought about, a major change in dealing with cases of therapeutic abortion. This study was performed to investigate the causes of therapeutic abortion request made by pregnant women who had referred to the Legal Medicine Organization in Sanandaj, from July 2004 to July 2008. This was a descriptive cross sectional study and included all the files of therapeutic abortion [58 files] in the Forensic Medicine Organization in Sanandaj from 2004 to 2008. Sampling method was census. The collected data were analyzed by using SPSS statistical software and frequency tables were prepared. Most requests for therapeutic abortion were made in 2008 and included 18 cases [31%] and the least number of requests was in 2004 with six cases [10.3%]. 16 patients between 30 and 35 years of age had the highest rate of abortion [27.6%]. The lowest rate of abortion belonged to those with less than 18 years of age with one case [1.7%]. The mean gestational age was 11.8 +/- 4.1 [range 5-19 week]. The approved cases of therapeutic abortion included 34 patients [58.6%].The prevalence rates of requests for abortion license due to fetal and maternal causes were 22 [37.9%] and 36 [62.1%], respectively. Among the confirmed cases of therapeutic abortion 18 [52.9%] had fetal causes and 16 [47.1%] had maternal causes. The most common fetal causes for therapeutic abortion permit was anencephaly with 7 cases [20.6%] and thalassemia with 3 cases [8.8%] and the most common maternal cause was cardiovascular diseases with 10 cases [29.4%]. The results of this study indicated that after passing the medical abortion law, the numbers of requests for therapeutic abortion due to fetal causes are on the rise. Further interventions to promote knowledge in the field of therapeutic abortion among the medical staff and in the society and encourage use of certain methods of contraception by women with advanced cardiovascular disease are recommended