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Experiences of Women Refused National Health Service Abortion

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 July 2008

John R. Ashton
John R. Ashton
Affiliation:
Department of Community Medicine, Southampton University and Wessex Regional Health Authority
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Summary

Out of 197 Wessex women undergoing a legal abortion at the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) clinic at Brighton, 31 (15·7%) had already been refused a termination of pregnancy by at least one National Health Service doctor in Wessex. Almost all of these pregnancies were terminated for reasons covered by the social clause of the 1967 Abortion Act.

The principal reasons given for refusal of termination were that the women had insufficient grounds for termination under the Abortion Act, or that they were too late. Some were given misleading information. Refusal of an operation may have led to one woman having a second trimester rather a first trimester procedure when she went to BPAS. Some of these patients reported medical consultations which they had found to be upsetting or hurtful. It is suggested that the interests both of women seeking abortion and of doctors opposed to abortion would be best served if the Health Authorities were to provide alternative referral pathways to special abortion facilities.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Biosocial Science , Volume 12 , Issue 2 , April 1980 , pp. 201 - 210
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1980

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References

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