title: Safe abortions in an illegal context: perceptions from service providers in Belgium.
abstract: Until April 1990 abortion was illegal in Belgium all circumstances. However, a small group of health professionals had long provided high-quality abortion services in outpatient facilities and in hospitals. This study is a qualitative analysis of perceptions among providers of safe abortion in Belgium before and after it was made legal there. The providers' personal, psychological, and ethical reactions to abortion are investigated, as well as their opinions on how their activities should be organized in order to minimize problems. Standardized questionnaires with closed and open questions were used; 143 questionnaires were completed. Emotional reactions were reported as being the most difficult aspects of practicing abortion. The experience of Belgian practitioners is of value for health professionals working in a legally restricted setting who are willing to assume some judicial risks to facilitate legal change while demonstrating the public health utility of low-cost, safe abortion.
authors.affiliation: World Health Organization, Centre Hospitalier Cesar De Paepe, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Donnay
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bregentzer
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Leemans
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Verougstraete
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vekemans
mesh_terms: D000023:Abortion Applicants / Q000523:psychology; D000024:Abortion, Illegal / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000028:Abortion, Induced / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001530:Belgium; D003268:Contraception Behavior; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010348:Patient Care Team; D011247:Pregnancy; D011253:Pregnancy in Adolescence; D012068:Religion and Medicine