Danish women top Nordics in hormonal contraception use

As a result there are far fewer abortions in Denmark than in Sweden, says researcher

Lucie Rychla

Jan 31, 2017

Danish women rank first among the Nordic countries in use of medically prescribed contraceptives, according to a new study published in the scientific journal Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavia

Denmark is followed by Sweden and Finland, while women in Iceland and Norway use hormonal birth control the least.

The research is based on the sales statistics and information about prescribed and purchased contraceptives in 2010-2013, and includes a total of 5.8 million women.

Researchers also took into account the number of copper coils sold during the same period.

Fewer abortions
The relatively high consumption of birth control pills in Denmark is one of the reasons there are significantly fewer abortions in the country than for example in Sweden, Øjvind Lidegaard, the co-author of the study and chief physician at the gynaecology department at Rigshospitalet, explained to Videnskab.dk.

The study found that about 42 percent of Danish women used medically prescribed contraceptives in 2013, while 40-41 percent of Swedish and Finnish women used them.

Meanwhile, only 33 percent of Norwegian and 31 percent of Icelandic women used either hormonal birth control or copper coil.

Lidegaard believes the very small differences among the Nordic countries suggest national health authorities have generally informed women well regarding the risks and benefits of using hormonal birth control.