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Abstract
We aimed to ascertain the attitude of consultant gynaecologists towards the working of the 1967 Abortion Act, women’s choice and decriminalisation of abortion, and whether they had requests on the grounds of foetal sex in the last five years. A postal questionnaire was sent to a 20% random sample of NHS gynaecologists, coded and analysed using SPSS. 286 doctors replied, 78%. 60% considered the abortion act was working satisfactorily. Ninety percent thought the woman should decide whether to continue the pregnancy in consultation with her doctor. However, 15% thought it too easy to obtain. Fifty-six percent of those with an opinion agreed that abortion should be decriminalised and treated like any other medical procedure. It is time to consider decriminalisation of abortion. About half performed abortions and 152 (97%) had never had a request for an abortion on the grounds of foetal sex. Sex selection is not a major problem in the UK.
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Acknowledgements
We would like to thank all the gynaecologists who completed the questionnaire, for giving their time and for their co-operation in completing the questionnaire.
Disclosure statement
WDS has been Co-ordinator and Press Officer of Doctors for a Woman’s Choice on Abortion (DWCA) www.dwca.org