By Lynne Miles | 30 August 2005, 17:05

A survey conducted by well-respected online pollsters YouGov has found that only 27% of UK adults (and only 19% of women) believe that the current legal limit for abortion - 24 weeks \x96 is appropriate. 30% of people (and 35% of women) feel that 20 weeks is the more appropriate limit, whilst 6% of respondents (equal proportions of men and women) thought abortion should not be legal at all.

A staggering number of people \x96 79% of all adults and 84% of women \x96 thought either \x93some but not many\x94 or \x93many\x94 women \x93do not protect themselves adequately against unwanted pregnancies and instead use abortion as a form of birth control\x94.

Roughly half of those questioned thought the current arrangements for getting a termination were \x93broadly satisfactory\x94, with a further 30% (once again, more women than men) saying it is too easy to get an abortion in Britain today.