N.B. residents want better access to abortion services: survey

New Brunswickers want better access to abortion services, according to the results of a public opinion poll conducted in December.

The poll by Omnifacts Bristol Research found 57 per cent of respondents believe that abortions should be available in medical clinics, said Maryse Courville, a senior research consultant with the firm.

Another 40 per cent said they'd agree under certain strict conditions.

New Brunswick's medicare system will only pay for an abortion if it is performed by one of the two gynecologists in the province who perform the procedure and it takes place in a recognized hospital. Two doctors must recommend that it is medically necessary for the woman.

Women can also go to a private abortion clinic in Fredericton and pay up to $750 for the procedure.

The poll is part of a regular survey conducted every four months, asking various questions of 1,833 people in Atlantic Canada. Its margin of error is 2.2 per cent, 19 times of 20. Last month marked the first time the market research company's survey asked questions about abortion.

New Brunswickers were asked if they felt women had the right to choose when it came to having an abortion.

"The largest segment of the population, in fact, the majority of 57 per cent of New Brunswickers, believe that abortions should be available in medical clinics to provide greater access," said Courville.

Atlantic Canadians are most hesitant to approve abortions when the woman says she's not ready to have a child, at 18 per cent, according to the poll. Only 13 per cent say they would approve an abortion for someone who is financially unable to afford the child.

Rosella Melanson, head of the Advisory Council on the Status of Women, said the poll will be given to Health Minister Mike Murphy when he meets with women's groups later this week.

"Compared to other provinces, New Brunswick is conservative," Melanson said. "But even in New Brunswick, it is a majority that agrees that women should have the right to choose."