Journal
BJOG-AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNAECOLOGY
Volume 128, Issue 5, Pages 838-845Publisher
WILEY
DOI: 10.1111/1471-0528.16534
Keywords
Abortion; delays; gestational age limits; reproductive health; travel
Categories
Funding
- European Research Council (ERC)
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This study focuses on women traveling from EU countries with liberal abortion laws to seek abortions in the UK and the Netherlands due to exceeding gestational age limits in their own countries. The research emphasizes the need for policies supporting access to abortion throughout pregnancy and the importance of early access to meet reproductive health needs. The study was funded by the European Research Council (ERC).
Objectives Little is known about the experiences of women who travel within Europe for abortion care from countries with relatively liberal laws. This paper aims to assess the primary reasons for travel among a sample of women who travelled from European countries with relatively liberal abortion laws to obtain abortion care mainly in the UK and the Netherlands. Design Multi-country, 5-year mixed methods study on barriers to legal abortion and travel for abortion. Setting UK, the Netherlands and Spain. Population or Sample We present quantitative data from 204 surveys, and qualitative data from 30 in-depth interviews with pregnant people who travelled to the UK, the Netherlands and Spain from countries where abortion is legal on broad grounds within specific gestational age (GA) limits. Methods Mixed-methods. Main outcome measures GA when presenting at abortion clinic, primary reason for abortion-related travel. Results Study participants overwhelmingly reported travelling for abortion because they had exceeded GA limits in their country of residence. Participants also reported numerous delays and barriers to receiving care. Conclusions Our findings highlight the need for policies that support access to abortion throughout pregnancy and illustrate that early access to it is necessary but not sufficient to meet people's reproductive health needs. Funding This study is funded by the European Research Council (ERC). Tweetable abstract This study shows that GA limits drive women from EU countries where abortion is legal to seek abortions abroad.
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