Characteristics of women recruited to a long-term study of the sequelae of induced abortion. Report from a joint RCGP/RCOG Study co-ordinated by the Royal College of General Practitioners' Manchester Research Unit.

One thousand, five hundred and nine general practitioners and 795 gynaecologists are co-operating in a large, long-term, controlled, prospective study of the sequelae of induced abortions. The ;case' (6,349 patients) and control (8,132 patients) groups are comparable, and the patients who had induced abortion are also comparable in age, marital status and parity with those in the national abortion statistics. The study should, therefore, give a sound basis for evaluating the long-term hazards of the operation.