[Experience of women who request voluntary abortion: relationship with their health care environment].
OBJECTIVE
To describe women's perception of health care after they decided to have a voluntary termination of pregnancy and their referral to the abortion clinic.


METHODS
Qualitative method, using semi-structured interviews carried out between April and June 2005.


METHODS
Primary Health Care District of Seville, Spain.


METHODS
Women living in the city of Seville and attending subsidized abortion clinics.


METHODS
Thirty-six women of varying ages and educational level were interviewed. The interview studied the assessment and information given by health professionals, and accessibility and use of family planning services. The results were analysed and triangulated with other studies and experts in the field.


RESULTS
Most of the women interviewed were satisfied with the health care provided. Occasionally they perceived a bureaucratic attitude from physicians, who transmitted their disapproval and lack of support for an abortion decision. There were important differences in the way they were referred to abortion clinics, and in the information given to the women. Older women opted for private care, because this accelerated procedures and protected their privacy. Most women did not use family planning services before the abortion decision, except for requesting contraception.


CONCLUSIONS
The study found there is a need to reduce the variety of patterns of care for women requesting an abortion, to speed up the proceedings and to train family doctors in assessment and information delivered to women during the process.
Morillo García
Aurea
A
Distrito Sanitario Sevilla de Atención Primaria, Sevilla, Spain. aurea.morillo.sspa@juntadeandalucia.es
Aldana Espinal
Josefa María
JM
Moreno Nieto
Juana
J
Sillero Sánchez
Rocío
R
Nieto Cervera
Pilar
P
D000028:Abortion, Induced / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D003267:Contraception; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D004493:Education; D005193:Family Planning Services; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D017533:Marital Status; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011247:Pregnancy; D011320:Primary Health Care; D013030:Spain