Decomposing Fertility, Abortion, and Contraception in Russia: Findings from Russia's First National Reproductive Health Survey

Howard Goldberg, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Florina I. Serbanescu, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Lidia Bardakova, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
Paul Stupp, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Russia has recently been characterized by extremely low fertility, high rates of induced abortion, and a lack of consistent use of effective contraception by Russian couples. In 2011, the Russia Reproductive Health Survey (RRHS) was carried out, providing the first nationally representative estimates of a wide range of reproductive health indicators. This national survey revealed that fertility has risen somewhat, while abortion utilization has fallen dramatically. It was also found, surprisingly, that overall contraceptive prevalence has not increased and that the method mix in recent years has generally moved away from long-acting, highly effective methods. In this analysis we decompose information from the 2011 RHS and earlier data sources to analyze the interplay between fertility, fertility intentions, various aspects of contraceptive use, and other reproductive behaviors and decisions to better explain recent changes in fertility and induced abortion, despite a lack of increased use of effective contraception.