Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.The purpose of this study was to describe the birth control services in England and Wales (birth control services were interpreted broadly to include sterilization and therapeutic abortion as well as conventional methods) and also to study variations in services between areas. The Birth Control Services study consisted of 5 surveys: SN:402 <i>General Practitioners</i> recorded information about advice given by general practitioners and the views of general practitioners about their role in relation to conventional birth control as well as in relation to therapeutic abortion and sterilisation. Close attention was given to the pill, its possible health hazards, prolonged use, and side effects. SN:909 <i>Health Visitors and Midwives</i> collected data about advice given by health visitors and midwives and their views about their respective roles. The aim was to discover what aspects of birth control (including sterilisation and therapeutic abortion) they feel confident and justified in discussing with the mothers they visit and to what extent they do this. SN:910 <i>Consultant General Surgeons and Urologists</i> collected information about the views and practice of consultant general surgeons and urologists in relation to sterilisation and in the field of birth control generally. SN:911 <i>Consultant Psychiatrists</i> collected information about the role of consultant psychiatrists in advising about terminations of pregnancy. SN:912 <i>Consultants in Obstetrics and Gynaecology</i> collected information about the views and practice of consultant obstetricians and gynaecologists in relation to sterilisation, terminations of pregnancy and in the fields of birth control generally.

Main Topics:

Attitudinal/Behavioural Questions Importance of various aspects of birth control service within general practice, whether family planning clinics or GPs are better for birth control advice, proportion of patients referred by respondent to clinics, birth control method most frequently recommended, opinion on strongest contraindications to prescribing the pill. Advice given about duration of oral contraception use, symptoms which would cause respondent to take patient off oral contraception. Advice given to normal healthy women about oral contraception, sheath, withdrawal or safe period. Whether diaphragms or IUDs fitted by respondent, whether vasectomies done (number in last 12 months). Attitude to giving birth control advice to married/unmarried women. Opinion on whether man or woman most appropriate user of contraception, frequency of discussion of over-population with patients, changes respondent would like to see in birth control services in local area. Opinion on who should be entitled to birth control free through NHS, opinion on role of nurses and health visitors as sources of information for patients, situations in which respondent would suggest sterilization, whether male or female sterilization is preferable, adequacy of services for male/female sterilization in area. Whether respondent holds any conscientious objection to termination of pregnancy, situations in which respondent would recommend termination, frequency of referral of abortion patients to psychiatrist (changes since 1967 Abortion Act). Ease of arranging pregnancy terminations, satisfaction with existing facilities for abortion in the area, number of referrals for termination during last 12 months. Respondent's assessment of likelihood to recommend pregnancy terminations in comparison to other GPs locally and nationally. Background Variables Age, sex, marital status, religion, type of practice, whether special sessions held for birth control help, whether any member of practice is a birth control specialist, provision of birth control literature in the waiting room, hours per week spent in general practice, whether ever worked in a family planning clinic, whether attended courses on family planning.

Drawn by the Sampling Branch of the Government Social Survey. 52 registration districts were listed

Postal survey