Under the present law concerning abortion in New Zealand, no woman can have her pregnancy terminated unless her life is in danger. The law does not allow abortion for victims of rape or incest, for probable foetal deformity (e.g. after German measles), for the inability of a woman to cope as a mother, for a woman of unsound mind or for under-sixteen-year-olds. Though the law considers danger to a woman's life the only ground for abortion, doctors sometimes interpret this as including her mental and physical health. In effect then, if a woman can present a clear case (to the right doctor) that she is likely to go insane if forced to give birth to an unwanted child, she might succeed in getting an abortion at a cost of $200-400. The cost is made up to gain approval for the abortion, and the fees of private hospitals, where fewer questions are asked.

Only a tiny proportion of the abortions carried out in this country are legal. The rest, estimated at between 6,000 and 12,000 per year, are obtained illegally, at great risk to women's health. They are often performed in appalling and degrading situations, in spite of harsh penalties provided for under the law (i.e. up to 14 years imprisonment for the abortionist — the same maximum penalty as for rape, and up to 7 years for a woman who attempts to abort herself).