China's abortion rate is one of the highest in the world. In September, China's State Council issued new guidelines for the problem. It requires a reduction in the number of abortions performed for "non-medical purposes," among Chinese women, in a bid to improve women's reproductive health. But the new guidelines have raised concerns for many who think abortion could be forbidden in the country. Is that so? CGTN reporter Hu Chao talked to a medical expert.

China's abortion rate is among the world's highest. Every year, the country has more than nine million abortions, according to statistics in 2018 from the National Health Commission of China.

Earlier this year, the China Family Planning Association also issued a report on women's reproductive health. It says the country's abortion rate had risen from about 26 percent to 28 percent between 2014 to 2018.

Recently, the State Council issued national guidelines for Women's Development in China that aims to improve women's reproductive health in 2021 to 2030.

HU CHAO Taiyuan, Shanxi Province "One of the highlights from the new measures calls for a reduction in the number of performed abortions for non-medical purposes. The policy has triggered a nationwide discussion on social media on whether a women's right to an abortion will end."

Doctor Zhang Lin'ai works in the birth control department in the provincial hospital for women and children, in north China's Shanxi Province. She says the policy should not be misinterpreted.

ZHANG LIN'AI Director, Family Planning Department, Shanxi Women & Children's Hospital "Some people are afraid once they're pregnant, they won't be able to have abortion and must give birth to the baby. It's not like that. The purpose of this national policy is to reduce unwanted pregnancy, which will lead to abortion. And abortion can cause serious complications that harm women's fertility. So, the policy helps women avoid such harm and secures the fertility rate."

Doctor Zhang says abortion for non-medical purposes refers to unwanted pregnancies. And that often happens among young women, especially teenagers.

According to the National Health Commission of China, young women who haven't given birth to a child are a big proportion in the number of abortions. And they tend to get repeated abortions.

Doctor Zhang says the youngest pregnant patient she met was an elementary school student.

ZHANG LIN'AI Director, Family Planning Department, Shanxi Women & Children's Hospital "The youngest pregnant patient I met was a ten-year-old. Many are between the age from ten to twenty-five. They often lack knowledge about sex. Actually, the whole society now still lacks knowledge about the importance of contraception and the hazard of abortion."

Doctor Zhang says they are now building a post abortion care service system. After the patient has an abortion and leaves, doctors will continue to check on the patient's health conditions regularly by making phone calls, and offering contraception consultancy, to help the patient avoid repeated and unwanted pregnancies.

Doctor Zhang believes this is an effective way to help reduce the abortion rate. She also says the service will be widely adopted in many hospitals across the country. Hu Chao, CGTN, Taiyuan, Shanxi Province.