Attitudes of general practitioners in Northern Ireland toward abortion and family planning.
A survey of the attitudes and practices of general practitioners in Northern Ireland regarding contraception and abortion was carried out in 1994 and 1995 with a randomized sample of 154 physicians. The vast majority of doctors who received requests for contraceptives from their patients fulfilled those request (94%). Overall, 13% of the doctors said a married patient had requested an abortion in the past three months, and 34% had had a similar request from an unmarried patient. Two-thirds thought that a woman together with her physician should decide whether to terminate a pregnancy, 19% did not think the choice should be left with the woman and her physician and 13% were undecided. Sixty-six percent believed that a joint strategy of improving contraceptive use and reducing premarital intercourse is the best approach for preventing unwanted pregnancy among teenagers, 21% specified only improving contraceptive use and 13% indicated only reducing premarital intercourse.
Francome
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Middlesex University, London.
D000028:Abortion, Induced; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002410:Catholicism; D002835:Christianity; D005193:Family Planning Services; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009660:Northern Ireland; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D011247:Pregnancy; D011253:Pregnancy in Adolescence; D037841:Pregnant People; D033303:Protestantism