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What is registered in the Abortion registry (Registry of Pregnancy Termination)

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All requests for induced abortion must be reported to the Abortion registry, including both self-determined abortions and abortions allowed by abortion boards. The registry does not include information about spontaneous abortions.

Health personnel at institutions where abortions are performed or where abortion board assessments take place must report the information. 

Information registered

  • De-identified personal data about the pregnant person, meaning that no directly identifiable personal information is registered, such as name or social security number.
  • Information about the pregnant person's health conditions, the request for abortion, board assessment if relevant, and medical information about the abortion.

Registration is authorised by regulations

The legal basis for registering all requests for abortions in the Abortion registry is found in the Abortion registry's regulations.

Some abortions must also be registered in the Medical Birth Registry of Norway (MBRN). The legal basis for this registration is found in the MBRN’s regulations. Until May 31st 2025, the abortions subject to registration in MBRN were abortions allowed by abortion boards according to § 2 third section of the Abortion Act of 1975. From June 1st 2025, abortions subject to registration in MBRN are abortions allowed by abortion boards according to § 3 second section of the Abortion Act of 2024.

From June 1st 2025, some temporary solutions for reporting to the Abortion registry were introduced. These consist of separate new forms to be sent from the abortion boards, and changes to routines for documentation and submittal of abortion notifications from the clinics. The abortion notifications from the clinics still also form the basis for registration in MBRN.

Permanent registration in the Abortion registry takes place in de-identified form, i.e., without directly identifiable personal information, such as name and social security number.

Permanent registration in the MBRN of abortions according to the Abortion Act of 1975 § 2 third section letter c, as well as abortions according to the Abortion Act of 2024 § 3 second section letter c and sometimes d, in principle include directly identifiable personal information. However, the pregnant person has a right of reservation. 

Permanent registration in the MBRN of abortions according to the Abortion Act of 1975 § 2 third section letters a, b, d and e, as well as abortions according to the Abortion Act of 2024 § 3 second section letter a, b and sometimes d, must take place in de-identified form.

Right of reservation

  • Abortions according to the Abortion Act of 1975 § 2 third section letter c are allowed if "there is a great risk that the child may develop a severe disease, as a result of hereditary factors, illness or harmful influences during pregnancy" (NIPH translation).
  • Abortions according to the Abortion Act of 2024 § 3 second section letter c are allowed if “it is likely that the fetus has a severe condition, or that the fetus will die during pregnancy or shortly after birth” (NIPH translation).
  • Abortions according to the Abortion Act of 2024 § 3 second section letter d are allowed if “medical conditions of the fetus, conditions of the pregnant person, the pregnant person’s life situation or a combination of these make the pregnancy, birth, upbringing or future care for the child particularly demanding” (NIPH translation).

For all the abortions listed above, directly identifiable personal information may be permanently registered in the MBRN if the pregnant person does not object to this. For abortions according to the Abortion Act of 2024 § 3 second section letter d directly identifiable personal information may only be registered if the abortion is allowed fully or partly due to the medical conditions of the fetus.

The right of reservation has its legal basis in the regulations for the MBRN. If the pregnant person makes use of the right of reservation, permanent registration of the abortion must also take place in de-identified form in the MBRN.

When completing the abortion notification for the abortions mentioned above, the pregnant person shall be informed of her right to object to the permanent registration of directly identifiable personal information in the MBRN. Any request for a reservation will be registered in the abortion notification.

Contact NIPH about deletion

Those registered in the MBRN who have not been informed of their right of reservation as described in the previous section, and who wish their directly identifiable personal information to be deleted, may contact the NIPH.

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