In the Soviet Union, women of childbearing age underwent an alarming number of abortions, averaging between six to eight times per woman. This practice resulted in an estimated annual total of 10 million to 16 million abortions across the country, highlighting a significant public health and societal issue during that era.

In contrast, the United States saw a drastically lower abortion rate, with women averaging only 0.5 abortions each and a total of about 1.5 million abortions annually. These stark differences in abortion statistics reflect varying cultural, legal, and social attitudes towards reproductive health in the two nations during the period.