The existing structural nature of women's work (domestic as well as non-domestic) has severe built-in hazards for women (reproductive and otherwise) which no amount of first rate quality of care, total coverage and/or access to health services alone can deal with.

In many developing countries, women's activities, traditionally confined to the household, have changed over time.

The health of the general population as well as specific groups (infants, women, etc) has for long been an important concern for development studies.

This paper presents a part of the qualitative exploratory study conducted in rural Maharashtra from April 1994 to April 1996 to understand the issue of abortion from women's perspective.