title: Legal abortion in England and Wales.
abstract: Ninety-eight per cent of abortions on British women resident in England or Wales are performed for social reasons. The Abortion Act (1967) insists on the opinion of two doctors but is broadly phrased and, by allowing that abortion can protect mental health, permits abortion when social factors are causing or likely to cause significant stress. The abortion rate has been stable at 11-12 per 1000 women aged 15-44 since 1973, suggesting that factors causing unplanned pregnancy are remaining constant for women in the fertile years and that, overall, the available facilities are adequate. However, only 49% of women obtain a free abortion in the National Health Service (NHS) and there are wide regional variations. Serious delays in the NHS are associated with inadequate access to pregnancy tests, attitudes of medical staff to abortion, and gynaecological units that are fully occupied with other problems. Women can choose to pay for abortions in services run either by charities or by commercial organizations. These services are used electively by a minority of women but most would prefer an NHS abortion if it was easily available. Women who seek help outside the NHS receive prompt and efficient management.
mesh_terms: D000029:Abortion, Legal / Q000639:trends*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004739:England; D005260:Female; D006291:Health Policy / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D013222:State Medicine; D014852:Wales