ABSTRACT
Induced abortion is one of the most commonly performed gynaecological procedures in Great Britain. Around 180000 terminations are performed annually in England and Wales and around 12000 in Scotland. Around 1 in 3 British women will have had an abortion by the age of 45. Over 98% of abortions in Britain are undertaken on the grounds that the pregnancy threatens the mental or physical health of the woman or her children. It is these abortions which form the focus of this review.
