Dmitry Medvedev signed a legislative measure amending existing laws relative to advertising. The measure was first passed by the State Duma on May 13 and then by the Federation Council on May 25. The new law creates favorable conditions for the production and distribution of social ads aimed at encouraging improved public morale.

In particular, the law requires abortion ads to provide warnings about the side effects of the procedure, including loss of fertility. The amendments require that warnings about the dangers should occupy no less than 10 percent of each advertisement. A survey by the United Nations in 2004 showed that Russia had one of the highest rates of abortion in the world: 53.7 abortions per

1 000 women between the ages of 15 and 44. Official estimates are that there were 1.3 million abortions in 2009.