Life expectancy at birth

1
Comparison of Child and Infant Mortality Rates
(1997)
2
Population Policies and Reproductive Rights
under Socialist State

• 1957-1966 women viewed as primarily economic
  resources free access to abortion
• contraceptive use was not encouraged
• 1966-1989 women viewed as primarily reproductive
  resources
• access to legal abortion restricted to
• - women over 45 years of age, or women who
  had at least five children
• - modern methods of contraception banned
• - taxes on childless couples/unmarried
  people

3
WOMEN NARRATIVES (1)

• As a woman I had to learn not only to cook, to
  sew, and to raise my children, but also how to
  induce an abortion (unskilled worker, mother of
  three).
•  I made a catheter using an electric cable from
  which I extracted the metal wires. I tried
  several times to insert it by myself and finally
  succeeded (kindergarten teacher, mother of
  three).
•  
• Nobody and nothing could stop me in my making
  the decision to get rid of my pregnancy. I
  assumed all risks involved I did what I felt I
  should do for my family, to bring up my children
  (factory worker, mother of two).

4
Maternal mortality, 1989-2000
Deaths per 100,000 live births
5
Number of abortions in Romania (1970-2000)
Number of abortions