Distribution of abortions in Canada in 2020 with a complication

Induced abortion is defined as the medical termination of pregnancy. Equivalent terms include artificial abortion, therapeutic abortion, voluntary termination of pregnancy, elective termination of pregnancy and active termination of pregnancy.

Table includes induced abortions performed in a hospital setting in Canada (numbers are provided by the province/territory in which the abortion was performed), excluding Quebec. Information on complications is not available from clinic data or from Quebec data.

Complications that occur during the initial visit or hospitalization, as well as complications on subsequent visits, transfers or readmissions within 28 days for the same patient, are included. Complications during subsequent visits, transfers or readmissions for cases where the health care number was not recorded during the initial visit or hospitalization are not included; complications may therefore be undercounted.

The “combination” category includes cases where more than one type of complication was recorded. For example, cases with both an infection and a hemorrhage are included under “combination.”