A survey of women seeking termination of pregnancy in New South Wales

Objectives: To identify characteristics of women seeking termination of pregnancy, their reasons for having a termination, and whether they intended to submit a Medicare claim for the procedure. Design: Survey by self-administered questionnaire. Subjects and setting: All women who attended 11 private clinics in New South Wales (NSW) over a six-week period in 1992. Results: 2249 completed questionnaires were received (94% response rate). Terminations were frequent at all ages, but women in their 20s accounted for more than half the terminations (54%) and teenagers accounted for only 17%. Respondents were generally well educated and from various ethnic and religious backgrounds; 56% were single and 41% had had one or more previous terminations. Fifteen per cent of respondents could not or did not intend to make a Medicare claim. The most frequently cited factors contributing to the decision to seek a termination were concerns about finances, change in lifestyle, single parenthood and being too young. Conclusions: Private clinics, where most terminations are performed, clearly meet a major demand, but it is likely that terminations in NSW as recorded by Health Insurance Commission claims are under-reported by at least 15%.