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Ambivalence among women applying for abortion
C Husfeldt1, S K Hansen, A Lyngberg
1Department of Social Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
Background:
Our purpose was to characterize women expressing ambivalence when applying for abortion.
Material And Methods:
Data were collected, by self-administered questionnaires, from 339 women. Thirty percent were in doubt about the decision when the abortion was due. Socio-economic factors more often influenced the choice among ambivalent women than among those not in any doubt.
Results:
Ambivalent women more often felt exposed to social pressure and some felt that the abortion was not their own choice. Their decision-making was marked by doubt during the entire process.
Conclusions:
There is a need for professional support during this decision-making process. Many of the ambivalent women stated that their decision might not have been the same under different personal circumstances.