[No increase in medical consumption in general practice after induced abortion]

To compare medical consumption in general practice between women who underwent an induced abortion and women who did not.

Historical cohort study.

We selected 19o women who underwent an induced abortion in the period 1975-2004 and 145 control patients. Women were selected from the Continuous Morbidity Registration from the University Medical Centre St Radboud in Nijmegen, The Netherlands. Patient records were reviewed to assess socioeconomic background variables and medical consumption in the 3 years before and 3 years after the abortion. Patients were divided into 3 cohorts, based on time period.

Patients who underwent an abortion had no increase in medical consumption in general practice after the abortion, compared with before the abortion. They also had no increase in visits to the general practitioner with psychosocial or psychiatric problems after the procedure, nor were they prescribed more medication. Compared with the control group, however, women who elected to have an induced abortion had increased medical consumption and more psychosocial consultations before and after the procedure. During the study period, medical consumption and the number of psychosocial and psychiatric consultations increased in women who had an induced abortion but decreased in those who did not.

Women who underwent induced abortion had greater medical consumption and more psychosocial problems than those who did not. However, medical consumption and the prevalence of psychosocial problems were similar before and after the procedure. Therefore, induced abortion did not lead to increased medical consumption.