Private fee no barrier to family planning in the Czech Republic.

PIP: Until 1990, contraception was free of charge for women in Czechoslovakia. Condoms were the only contraceptive which had to be paid for. Abortion was also free and was permitted for health and social reasons under certain circumstances. In 1987, Abortion Committees were abolished, and women were given the decision whether or not to have an abortion with only a time limit remaining (12 weeks of gestation). At this time, it was decided to charge fees for abortions performed after eight weeks of gestation. During this period, the use of modern contraceptive methods remained relatively low. When the Czech Republic was established as an independent state, fees were introduced for some health services including abortion and contraception. Abortions for health reasons remain free of charge. Health insurance schemes are being developed which cover the costs of some contraceptive supplies. Despite the initiation of fees, the number of induced abortions has slowly decreased since 1989, the number of births has decreased, and the use of modern contraceptives has increased. The priorities of the Czech Family Planning Association, therefore, are to identify target groups of women who do not use contraception and to increase the effectiveness of sex education.^ieng

[The quality of demographic development in Czechoslovakia from the European viewpoint]. / Kvalita populacního vývoje v CSFR z evropského pohledu.

Forty years of a totalitarian regime imply economic, cultural and moral devastation. Statistical analyses reveal, however, also demographic devastation in particular in the sphere of health and social aspects. This means that the basic indicators of the quality of demographic development in Czechoslovakia during the last 25 years are remarkably close to the indicators of the former socialist system and that they deteriorate and lag behind when compared with other countries, in particular developed industrial countries. This trend can be also called "balkanization" because Czechoslovakia which belonged before the war among the eight most highly developed industrial countries dropped at the end of the eighties to the level of demographic indicators of Bulgaria, Jugoslavia, Hungary, Roumania etc. In the submitted investigation the authors demonstrate these facts based on the analysis of selected coefficients of quality of the demographic development such as infant mortality, specific mortality of the male and female population aged 55-59 years and the mean life expectancy of men and women at birth, on the background of the general European demographic situation. For analyses only the latest data published by UNO were used.

[Family planning in Europe]. / Planovani rodiny v Evrope

PIP: The results of a comparative study of demographic problems in 24 European countries are presented. The focus is on reproductive behavior, including the treatment of infertility, family planning, induced abortion, education for marriage and parenthood, and consultative services. The author notes that changes in the age of sexual maturity, age at marriage, the educational status of women, the impact of mass media, the stability of marriages, the acceptance of sexual intercourse prior to marriage, and the general availability of birth control impose changes on the provision of educational and consultative services. English and Russian abstracts of this article are available separately.^ieng