The phenomenon of abortion in foreign women living in Northern Italy: a retrospective cohort epidemiological study

Aim To assess the phenomenon of abortion, both spontaneous and voluntary, in the Trentino population of women to detect any possible differences between women having Italian or foreign citizenship. Subject and Methods Retrospective epidemiological study, based on monitoring current informational flows. The assessed population includes all women who had a spontaneous abortion or a voluntary termination of pregnancy at a Trentino hospital between 2012 and 2023. Results The analyses were carried out on a total of 8301 voluntary termination of pregnancy and on 7166 spontaneous abortions. Data indicates a far higher recourse to voluntary termination of pregnancy by foreign women than by Italian women. The difference between the two groups of women is significant also for repeated voluntary termination of pregnancies, higher in foreign women (OR 2.08 95% CI [1.76–2.46]). A further significant difference highlighted regards the therapeutic voluntary termination of pregnancy for congenital foetal anomaly (greater in Italian women than in foreign women). There are also statistically significant differences in the risk of multiple abortions and hospitalisation. Conclusions This study points out the existence of differences between the immigrant population and the Italian one as regards the phenomenon of abortion. It is thus of essential importance to keep a high commitment to ensure the best healthcare is offered to immigrant women, bearing in mind the cultural context and the linguistic skills.