Information on therapeutic abortions (TAs) is collected by hospitals and clinics and provided to the Ontario Ministry of Health. The information is provided voluntarily by hospitals but is considered to be relatively complete. Since clinics must provide the information as a condition of their license, the data essentially capture all in-clinic TAs.

• Data for the number of TAs done in clinic were not available until 1992; data should only be presented for 1992 and later. The number of hospital and clinic TAs cannot be differentiated in 1993.
• As of 1996, the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) collected and processed all Ontario TA data.
• Data are based on the client's residence, not where the TA was performed.
• TAs performed out-of-province are not included.
• Information by marital status may not be accurate and will not be available after 1995.
• TA data are not available below the census division level.
• Individual-level data are not available.
• Rates and proportions based on counts less than 5 must be suppressed.

Reference: Ontario Therapeutic Abortion Database, HELPS, Ontario Ministry of Health, [January 2000].