A modern - and for many women, less traumatic - form of abortion is not being offered in some parts of the country, say campaigners.

Medical abortions use drugs to end the pregnancy, while surgical abortions involve the physical removal of the foetus under anaesthetic in an operating theatre.

Although many women actually choose the latter option, because the procedure requires only one clinic visit, the Family Planning Association (FPA) says the availability of medical abortions varies widely according to where you live.

In 1998, only just over 5% of abortions less than nine weeks into a pregnancy in the South Thames and West Midlands regions were medical.

In the Northern and Yorkshire region, 58% of the same type of abortions were medical.

The FPA's research suggested that the number of clinic visits associated with medical abortion could be reduced.

FPA chief executive Anne Weyman said: "At present medical abortion is over-medicalised and unnecessarily bureaucratic.

"This research shows that medical abortion can be simplified to give women real choice."

There is no suggestion that medical abortion is significantly safer than surgical abortion.

More like miscarriage

The experience is more like spontaneous miscarriage or even a heavy period than an operation, which some women find intimidating and traumatic.

The British Pregnancy Advisory Service suggest it should be at least on offer to women as an alternative.

Ann Furedi, its director, said: "What is provided on the NHS depends very much on how different hospitals organise themselves.

"Some treat abortion very much as something to be added on to the gynaecology surgery lists, which means women are not offered the medical alternative."

She said that some women would opt for the single visit of surgical abortion, particularly if they had a busy life or were trying to keep the abortion secret.

"In the end the choice should be there for women."

She said that the situation in Scotland, where approximately two-thirds of abortions were medical, was equally wrong, as many women there were not allowed to pick the surgical option.

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists is preparing to issue guidance to doctors which echoes this.

It will say that medical abortions should be the preferred option before the seven week mark, because the tiny size of the foetus means it is easy for the gynaecologist carrying out a surgical abortion to miss it, leaving the woman still pregnant.

Dr Gillian Penney, a senior lecturer in gynaecology at the University of Aberdeen, and chairman of the group which drew up the guidelines, stressed that both were equally safe.

She said: "We want to emphasise the value of choice.