Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.The purpose of this survey was to collect data from a random sample of women living in England, Wales and Scotland and having abortions in the Spring of 1972 and to find out whom they had consulted in the process, the number of consultations, any delays involved and the reasons for them, and what the women felt about the way they had been treated.

Main Topics:

Attitudinal/Behavioural Questions Number of consultations with professionals (type), order of consultation, gestation weeks at consultation, discussion of abortion, advice and information given (satisfaction), satisfaction with treatment received.

Multi-stage stratified random sample

two-stage 1. Selection of hospitals and approved places by systematic sampling. Then stratified by number of abortions performed (ie less than or more than 50). 2. Sample of patients: total sample for patients in institutions performing less than 50 abortions per quarter, and patients in institutions performing more than 50 abortions per quarter selected with probability proportional to the number of abortions performed.

Face-to-face interview