Women Face Long Wait For Abortions

Women Face Long Wait For Abortions

New Zealand women seeking an abortion can expect to wait an average of 25 days after their first visit to a doctor before the procedure is carried out, according to research published online today in Reproductive Health, an open-access, peer-reviewed publication.

The University of Auckland research team found that more than fifty percent of women in the study terminated their pregnancy on or after the tenth week of pregnancy, often despite seeking help much earlier. This raises concerns over potential complications, which become more likely the longer a pregnancy progresses.

Senior Research Fellow Martha Silva, who lead the study, comments, "This is the first large scale study of termination services conducted in New Zealand and highlights the need for a closer attention to women's experiences while accessing these services. To avoid further inequities in service, best practices must be identified to ensure that all clinics, regardless of whether within the public or private sector, can minimize the amount of time women have to wait for a procedure"

Ladies in waiting: the timeliness of first trimester pregnancy termination services in New Zealand - Martha Silva, Rob McNeill and Toni Ashton; Reproductive Health, 2010 (published online).

ENDS