Opinion towards induced abortion among urban women in Delhi, India.

This study explores the opinion towards induced abortion as a family planning method among currently married urban women of Delhi through intensive interviews. An overwhelming majority approved it under following ranking conditions: rape, deformed offspring, and unwed pregnancy. About 80 per cent approved it for family size limitation and economic reasons. Of the variables studied, the wives’ education has most significant and direct influence on approval of abortion. As compared to the women of the surveys in the U.S.A., the Indian women more frequently approved abortion for economic reasons and less frequently for the protection of the mothers’ health. INTRODUCTION THE STUDY of opinion towards induced abortion as a family limitation method among the Indian population remains a neglected area (Agarwala [I], Geijerstam [5], Krishna Murthy [lo], Mohanty [ll], Rao [12], Kaur [9], Tietze [14], Husain 161). The present study explores the opinion of currently married women towards induced abortion as a family planning method and the conditions under which they approve and disapprove of induced abortion. It also explores their opinion on the legalization of induced abortion, and the inclusion of abortion services in the family welfare clinics.