Standards for changing practice in abortion

The American Public Health Association (APHA) adopted a set of standards for abortion services at their Executive Board meeting in October 1970 which they now recommend. These recommendations cover referral and counseling, public education, surgical care, and reporting. The APHA was one of the first health organizations to recommend "that access to abortion be accepted as an important means of securing the right to space and choose the number of wanted children. To this end, restrictive laws should be repealed..." Since a number of states have now liberalized their laws abortions have increased, but the influence of economic status and race are still evident. It was estimated that approximately 8000 abortions were perfomred in the U.S. during the period 1963-1965. In the first 6 months of 1970 California alone reported 23,000 abortions in hospitals. In 1968 New York reported 5 abortions per 1000 live births in voluntary-ward hospitals and 9 abortions per 1000 live births in private hospitals. In 1970 they reported 198 and 766, respectively, per 1000 live births. This increase in abortions increases the pressure to: 1) lose regard for medical standards and increase income by decreasing quality, and 2) maintain old and outdated standards. The APHA recommends their new set of standards to help resolve these problems for those practitioners using either approach.