9 Million Infertile in Russia, Say Doctors

Two million-plus abortions are registered annually in Russia, with 10% of women left sterile by the operation, the agency said.

The figures were cited Friday at a meeting between state Duma security committee chairman Alexander Gurov and specialists of Moscow´s center of obstetrics, gynecology and perinatology.

The country´s birthrate continues to fall, caused mainly by infertility and miscarriages, doctors say. Some 1.23 million infants are born in Russia every year, while the figure should be 750,000 larger for mere reproduction of the population.