[Experience of women who request voluntary abortion: relationship with their health care environment]

To describe women's perception of health care after they decided to have a voluntary termination of pregnancy and their referral to the abortion clinic.

Qualitative method, using semi-structured interviews carried out between April and June 2005.

Primary Health Care District of Seville, Spain.

Women living in the city of Seville and attending subsidized abortion clinics.

Thirty-six women of varying ages and educational level were interviewed. The interview studied the assessment and information given by health professionals, and accessibility and use of family planning services. The results were analysed and triangulated with other studies and experts in the field.

Most of the women interviewed were satisfied with the health care provided. Occasionally they perceived a bureaucratic attitude from physicians, who transmitted their disapproval and lack of support for an abortion decision. There were important differences in the way they were referred to abortion clinics, and in the information given to the women. Older women opted for private care, because this accelerated procedures and protected their privacy. Most women did not use family planning services before the abortion decision, except for requesting contraception.

The study found there is a need to reduce the variety of patterns of care for women requesting an abortion, to speed up the proceedings and to train family doctors in assessment and information delivered to women during the process.