Legal Abortion: The Public Health Record

Abstract

The increasing availability and utilization of legal abortion in the United States has several important effects on public health in the 1970's. It reduced deaths and surgical complications among women of childbearing age; it made possible the development of safer surgical procedures for pregnancy termination; and it increased the provision of low-cost outpatient gynecologic services. There is some concern about potential adverse outcomes in future desired pregnancies and possibly higher risks of breast cancer in certain women.

Abortion Among Adolescents: Research Findings and the Current Debate

“…3) By controlling for baseline differences, the study could focus on change in levels of the relevant variables over time, rather than on their absolute values; 4) Follow-up measurements were made at two or four points in time, depending on whether the variable in question was tapped in the abbreviated telephone interview; 5 ) Validated measures of psychological status were used; 6) A measure of anxiety status that separated the transient state from the underlying trait made it possible to minimize the effects of the respondent's stress at baseline so changes over time in this variable could be included; and 7) Enough questions about sexual and contraceptive behavior were asked so that internal checks on the validity of the data were possible, and variables covering a large range of background and demographic data, as well as socioeconomic and educational status, made it possible to control for and to define the characteristics of the sample.…”

Manual vacuum aspiration in first trimester induced abortion: A randomized comparative prospective studies of 100 cases

“…[8] This method is faster, safer, more comfortable, and associated with shorter hospital stay for induced abortion than sharp curettage. [9,10] Additional advantages compared with sharp curettage are its ease of use as an outpatient procedure, the need for less analgesia and anesthesia, [10] and its lower cost per procedure especially if performed on an outpatient basis. [12] It is also included under National Rural Health Mission and safe abortion services.…”

Abortion in Turkey: women in rural areas and the law

“…[22][23][24] MVA is faster, safer, more comfortable, and associated with shorter hospital stay for induced abortion than sharp curettage. 25,26 Additional advantages compared with sharp curettage are its ease of use as an outpatient procedure, the need for less analgesia and anaesthesia, 27 and its lower cost per procedure, especially if done on an outpatient basis. 28 In countries with a small number of physicians, vacuum aspiration can be safely and effectively used by mid-level health service providers, such as midwives.…”