Creating linkages between incomplete abortion treatment and family planning services in Kenya

The association of quality contraceptive counseling measures with postabortion contraceptive method acceptance and choice: results from client exit interviews across eight countries

The availability of a variety of modern contraceptive methods is necessary but insufficient to provide a high-quality contraceptive service to postabortion clients. Women, especially young women, must be empowered to make informed choices about which methods they receive, including whether to use contraception following an abortion service. In this study, we conducted 2,488 client exit interviews with abortion clients after their induced abortion service or postabortion care visit in Ipas-supported health facilities in eight countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mexico, Nepal, Nigeria, and Uganda. We evaluated the quality of postabortion contraceptive counseling across two domains of contraceptive counseling: information exchange and interpersonal communication. We measured the association between these quality elements and two outcomes: 1) client-perceived choice of contraceptive method and 2) whether or not the client received a modern contraceptive method. We examined these relationships while adjusting for sociodemographic and confounding variables, such as the client feeling pressure from the provider to accept a particular method. Finally, we determined whether associations identified differ by age group: under 25 and 25+. Information exchange and interpersonal communication both emerged as important counseling domains for ensuring that clients felt they had the ability to choose a contraceptive method. The domain of information exchange was associated with having received a contraceptive method for all abortion clients, including young abortion clients under 25. Nearly 14% of clients interviewed reported pressure from the provider to accept a particular contraceptive method; and pressure from the provider was significantly associated with a client's perception of not having a choice in selecting and receiving a contraceptive method during her visit to the facility. Improving interpersonal communication, strengthening contraceptive information exchange, and ensuring clients are not pressured by a provider to accept a contraceptive method, must all be prioritized in postabortion contraceptive counseling in health facilities to ensure postabortion contraceptive services are woman-centered and rights-based for abortion clients.

The effects of interventions to integrate long-acting reversible contraception with treatment for incomplete abortion: Results of a 6-year interrupted time series analysis in hospitals in mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate an intervention that aimed at strengthening voluntary access to long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) within postabortion care (PAC) in hospitals in mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar.

METHODS

From 2016 to 2018, we conducted PAC quality improvement interventions, emphasizing family planning (FP) counseling and voluntary access to LARC. Researchers conducted an interrupted time-series analysis of service statistics compiled from 2014 to 2020 using segmented linear mixed effects regression models to assess the interventions' effect on postabortion contraceptive uptake.

RESULTS

The intervention in mainland Tanzania was associated with an immediate 38% increase in postabortion LARC uptake, a trend that declined from late 2016 to mid-2020 to 34%. In Zanzibar, the intervention was associated with a gradual increase in LARC uptake that peaked in late 2018 at 23% and stabilized at approximately 15% by mid-2020. Whereas the interventions in mainland facilities did not generate significant changes in postabortion FP uptake overall, the launch of interventions in Zanzibar in mid-2016 was associated with a precipitous rise in that outcome over time, which plateaued at approximately 54% by 2019.

CONCLUSION

Increased voluntary uptake of postabortion contraception was associated with the introduction of training in PAC, including FP, and quality improvement interventions and gains were sustained over time.

Women's post-abortion contraceptive use: Are predictors the same for immediate and future uptake of contraception? Evidence from Ghana

This study seeks to identify the socio-demographic, reproductive, partner-related, and facility-level characteristics associated with women’s immediate and subsequent use of post-abortion contraception in Ghana. Secondary data from the 2017 Ghana Maternal Health Survey were utilized in this study. The weighted data comprised 1,880 women who had ever had an abortion within the five years preceding the survey. Binary logistic regression analyses were performed to examine the associations between the predictor and outcome variables. Health provider and women’s socio-demographic characteristics were significantly associated with women’s use of post-abortion contraception. Health provider’s counselling on family planning prior to or after abortion and place of residence were associated with both immediate and subsequent post-abortion uptake of contraception. Among subsequent post-abortion contraceptive users, older women (35–49), women in a union, and women who had used contraception prior to becoming pregnant were strong predictors. Partner-related and reproductive variables did not predict immediate and subsequent use of contraception following abortion. Individual and structural/institutional level characteristics are important in increasing women’s acceptance and use of contraception post abortion. Improving and intensifying family planning counselling services at the health facility is critical in increasing contraceptive prevalence among abortion seekers.

Clients' perceptions of the quality of post-abortion care in eight health facilities in Dakar, Senegal

Post-abortion care (PAC) integrates elements that are vital for women's survival after abortion complications and their ability to meet their subsequent fertility intentions. Currently, the utilization of PAC among women in need remains too low, particularly in settings where unsafe abortion is an appreciable cause of maternal mortality. Interventions have aimed at addressing unmet need; however, these still require information on the extent to which women value different aspects of PAC. This paper presents such evidence from Dakar, Senegal. Exit interviews with 729 PAC clients in 2018 at eight health facilities obtained information on patient characteristics, content of services received and women's perceptions of the quality of care, both overall and according to subject-specific domains. These domains reflect aspects of PAC that are relevant to clients' satisfaction: accessibility, facility environment, information and counselling, family planning, provider technical competence and readiness and client-staff interaction. Ordinal logistic regression models were estimated to identify factors that were associated with women's rating of overall quality of care (on a scale of 1 to 5, 1 being lowest). Predictors that were significantly associated with the outcome were used in a multivariate ordinal logistic regression model that estimated the probability of positive differences in the outcome associated with women's classification of each predictor. Women reported a mean rating of 3.7 for overall quality of care. The lowest domain-specific rating was for quality of information and counselling (mean=2.4) and the highest was for client-staff interaction (mean=3.8). Factors associated with clients' higher odds of being more satisfied with PAC were: physical comfort during the procedure, recall of counselling on treatment procedure, privacy, perceived availability of supplies and medicines, facility admission process, facility cleanliness, waiting time, clarity of counselling and access to different contraceptive methods. Interventions that target these factors may improve the utilization of PAC in Dakar, Senegal.

Post-abortion family planning use, method preference, and its determinant factors in Eastern Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Utilization of post-abortion family planning is very critical to reduce high levels of unintended pregnancy, which is the root cause of induced abortion. In Eastern Africa, it is estimated that as many as 95% of unintended pregnancies occurred among women who do not practice contraception at all. Therefore, this meta-analysis aimed to assess post-abortion family planning utilization and its determinant factors in Eastern Africa.

METHODS

Published papers from Scopus, HINARI, PubMed, Google Scholar, and Web of Science electronic databases and grey literature repository were searched from database inception to January 30, 2020, with no restriction by design and date of publishing. We screened records, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias in duplicate. Cochrane I² statistics were used to check the heterogeneity of the studies. Publication bias was assessed by Egger and Biggs test with a funnel plot. A random-effects model was calculated to estimate the pooled prevalence of post-abortion family planning utilization.

RESULTS

A total of twenty-nine cross-sectional studies with 70,037 study participants were included. The overall pooled prevalence of post-abortion family planning utilization was 67.86% (95% CI 63.59-72.12). The most widely utilized post-abortion family methods were injectable 33.23% (95% CI 22.12-44.34), followed by implants 24.71% (95% CI 13.53-35.89) and oral contraceptive pills 23.42% (95% CI 19.95-26.89). Married marital status (AOR=3.20; 95% CI 2.02-5.05), multiparity (AOR=3.84; 95% CI 1.43-10.33), having a history of abortion (AOR=2.33; 95% CI 1.44-3.75), getting counselling on post-abortion family planning (AOR=4.63; 95% CI 3.27-6.56), and ever use of contraceptives (AOR=4.63; 95% CI 2.27-5.21) were factors associated with post-abortion family planning utilization in Eastern Africa.

CONCLUSIONS

This study revealed that the marital status of the women, multiparity, having a history of abortion, getting counselling on post-abortion family planning, and ever used contraceptives were found to be significantly associated with post-abortion family planning utilization.

An examination of the characteristics and contraceptive acceptance of post-abortion clients in Ethiopia

This national study examined the socio-demographic, health facility, and provider characteristics associated with the use of postabortion contraception in Ethiopia in 2014. We used data from a Prospective Morbidity Survey (PMS) conducted in Ethiopia in 2014 to measure abortion incidence and morbidity nationally. Data were collected on the presentation, care and treatment of 5,604 women who sought abortion services in 365 health facilities over 30 days. Descriptive and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to examine postabortion contraceptive uptake. Nearly 75% of abortion clients received postabortion contraception. The majority received short-acting methods, around one-third chose a long-acting or permanent method. Most women sought abortion services at public health centers (61.8%) and were cared for by midlevel providers (82.5%). Multivariate regression results showed that women who sought services during the first trimester (odds ratio/OR = 1.44; 95% confidence interval/CI 1.06, 1.95), for induced abortions (OR = 3.55; 95% CI 2.52, 4.99), from public sector facilities, and those served by midlevel providers, had greater odds of receiving postabortion contraception. We conclude that providing strong contraceptive services postabortion in government facilities, including long-acting methods in the method mix, and providing this care by midlevel providers could further reduce unmet need for contraception and repeat abortions.

Knowledge and attitude of reproductive age group (15-49) women towards Ethiopian current abortion law and associated factors in Bahir Dar city, Ethiopia

BACKGROUND

Unsafe abortion accounts for nearly 60% of all gynecologic admissions and almost 30% of all obstetric and gynecologic admissions. Studies on abortion in Ethiopia have given less attention to women's perceptions and experiences of abortion laws. Although the 2005 revised abortion law allows women to access safe abortion services, still unsafe abortion is one of the leading causes of pregnancy-related deaths. Therefore, the current study aimed to assess women's knowledge and attitude towards the Ethiopian current abortion law in Bahir Dar City Administration.

METHODS

A community-based cross-sectional study using a systematic random sampling technique was carried out among 403 randomly selected reproductive age women using a pre-tested structured questionnaire in Bahir Dar City Administration from May to June /2017. Data were entered into Epi data version 3.1 and analyzed using SPSS version 21.0 software. Logistic regression was done to identify the possible factors associated with women's knowledge and attitude towards the Ethiopian current abortion law.

RESULTS

Three hundred eighty-six respondents partook with a response rate of 95.7%. The study showed that 43% had good knowledge and 38% had a favorable attitude towards the Ethiopian current abortion law. Women's in the age group of 25-29 years (AOR = 2.7, 95% CI: 1.02, 6.9), partner's educational status of primary (AOR = 2.9, 95% CI: 1.19, 7.08), secondary (AOR = 5.5, 95% CI: 2.09, 14.4) and college and above (AOR = 8.2, 95% CI: 2.3, 28.6) were significantly associated with good knowledge of the Ethiopian current abortion law. While partner's educational status; college and above (AOR = 6.15, 95% CI: 1.87, 20.22) was significantly associated with the favorable attitude towards the Ethiopian current abortion law.

CONCLUSIONS

43% of respondents had good knowledge and 38% had a favorable attitude towards the Ethiopian current abortion law. Forty-nine respondents had a history of abortion of which, 8 occurred through induction. Woman's age and partner's education determine the status of knowledge while merely; the partner's educational status of college and above was significantly associated with the attitude towards Ethiopian current abortion law, respectively.

Post-abortion contraception before hospital discharge after installation of a surveillance network in Brazil

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the use of contraception soon after abortion, ectopic, or molar pregnancy following the establishment of a surveillance network (MUSA).

METHODS

A cross-sectional study of women admitted for abortion, or ectopic or molar pregnancy at UNICAMP Women's Hospital (part of the MUSA Network), Campinas, Brazil, between July 2017 and August 2019. Clinical and sociodemographic data were compared between women who initiated contraception before discharge and those who did not by using a Cochran-Armitage test and multiple logistic regression.

RESULTS

Overall, 382 women were enrolled (mean ± SD age, 29.6 ± 7.4 years). Most women (287, 75.2%) had abortions, and 146 (38.2%) initiated contraception before hospital discharge. The most common contraceptives were injectables (75, 51.4%) followed by pills (65, 44.5%). Use of contraception increased during the study period (Z=3.69, P<0.01), mostly due to injectables (Z=3.84, P<0.01). Factors independently associated with contraceptive initiation were admission in 2019 (odds ratio [OR], 2.65; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.36-5.17) and not having an abortion for legal reasons (OR, 3.54; 95% CI, 1.30-9.62).

CONCLUSION

Implementation of a surveillance network optimized the health service and quality of care. There was an increase in contraception use and a vulnerable population was identified.

Evaluating the quality and coverage of post-abortion care in Zimbabwe: a cross-sectional study with a census of health facilities

Background

An estimated 65,000 abortions occurred in Zimbabwe in 2016, and 40 % resulted in complications that required treatment. Quality post-abortion care (PAC) services are essential to treat abortion complications and prevent future unintended pregnancies, and there have been recent national efforts to improve PAC provision. This study evaluates two components of quality of care: structural quality, using PAC signal functions, a monitoring framework of key life-saving interventions that treat abortion complications; and process quality, which examines the standards of care provided to PAC patients.

Methods

We utilized a 2016 national census of health facilities in Zimbabwe with PAC capacity (n = 227) and a prospective, facility-based 28-day survey of women seeking PAC in a nationally representative sample of those facilities (n = 1002 PAC patients at 127 facilities). PAC signal functions, which are the critical services in the management of abortion complications, were used to classify facilities as having the capability to provide basic or comprehensive care. All facilities were expected to provide basic care, and referral-level facilities were designed to provide comprehensive care. We also assessed population coverage of PAC services based on the WHO recommendation for obstetric services of 5 facilities per 500,000 residents.

Results

We found critical gaps in the availability of PAC services; only 21% of facilities had basic PAC capability and 10% of referral facilities had comprehensive capability. For process quality, only one-fourth (25%) of PAC patients were treated with the appropriate medical procedure. The health system had only 41% of the basic PAC facilities recommended for the needs of Zimbabwe’s population, and 55% of the recommended comprehensive PAC facilities.

Conclusion

This is the first national assessment of the Zimbabwean health system’s coverage and quality of PAC services. These findings highlight the large gaps in the availability and distribution of facilities with basic and comprehensive PAC capability. These structural gaps are a contributing barrier to the provision of evidence-based care. This study shows the need for increased focus and investment in expanding the provision of and improving the quality of these essential, life-saving PAC services.

Findings and Lessons Learned From Strengthening the Provision of Voluntary Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptives With Postabortion Care in Guinea

Integrating voluntary long-acting reversible contraceptive (LARC) methods within postabortion care (PAC) in Guinea has increased LARC uptake among PAC clients, compared with non-PAC clients. With aid from government champions and leveraging of resources, Guinea has incorporated PAC into national policies and guidelines and trained providers on PAC and LARCs to expand service provision.

Integrating voluntary family planning into postabortion care (PAC) presents a critical opportunity to reduce future unintended pregnancies. Although Guinea has low contraceptive prevalence overall, acceptance of long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs) among PAC clients is higher than among interval LARC users and higher than the national average. In 2014, we assessed the extent of LARC provision within PAC services and the factors influencing integration. Primary and secondary data collected from 143 interviews, 75 provider assessments, and facility inventories and service statistics from all 38 public facilities providing PAC in Guinea allowed exploration of voluntary family planning uptake in the context of PAC. Study findings showed that 38 of 456 (8.3%) public health facilities or 38 of 122 (31.1%) facilities with a mandate to manage obstetric complications provided PAC services. Service statistics from 4,544 PAC clients in 2013 indicate that 95.2% received counseling and 73.0% voluntarily left the facility with contraception, with 29.6% of acceptors choosing a LARC. Family planning within PAC was emphasized in advocacy, policy and guidelines, quality improvement, and supervision, and the range of contraceptive options for postabortion clients was expanded to enable them to avoid a second unintended pregnancy. Factors that influenced provision of family planning within PAC included (1) the ability of champions both within and outside the Ministry of Public Health to advocate for PAC and leverage donor resources, (2) the incorporation of PAC with postabortion family planning into national policies, standards, and guidelines, (3) training of large numbers of providers in PAC and LARCs, and (4) integration of LARCs within PAC into quality improvement and supervision tools and performance standards. Guinea has gradually scaled up provision of PAC services nationwide and its experience may offer learning opportunities for other countries; however, continued advocacy for further expansion to more rural areas of the country and among private health facilities is necessary.

The Quality of Postabortion Care in Tanzania: Service Provider Perspectives and Results From a Service Readiness Assessment

Of the approximately 2,000 postabortion care (PAC) clients treated over 6 months in 2016, 55% chose a contraceptive method before discharge. Gaps in PAC availability and quality spanned multiple domains including human resource capacity and availability of supplies and contraceptives. While PAC providers generally expressed commitment to providing high-quality care, several facility and systems factors constrained their efforts, including limited training and facility space, lack of time, and supply chain challenges.

Introduction:

In 2015, the government of Tanzania launched an effort to strengthen the quality of postabortion care (PAC), an integrated health service that includes treatment for abortion complications and provision of family planning counseling and voluntary services, in 25 facilities in mainland Tanzania and in Zanzibar.

Methods:

To help guide the government’s initiative, we conducted a mixed-method study in 2016 using health facility surveys and in-depth interviews with health care workers that offer PAC. Surveys of the 25 facilities assessed the current use of services and readiness to deliver them. Provider performance in PAC was assessed through direct observation of client-provider interactions. In-depth interviews (IDIs) with 30 staff from the facilities provided qualitative information on priorities for PAC quality improvement.

Results:

In the 6 months preceding the study, 2,175 PAC clients sought care at the facilities. Of these PAC clients, 55% chose a family planning method, of whom 6% chose a voluntary long-acting reversible contraceptive. The median facility PAC readiness scores were 45% for health centers, 49% for district hospitals, and 61% for regional referral hospitals. Direct observations of manual vacuum aspiration provision for PAC revealed that providers implemented, on average, 69% of the critical clinical steps. For misoprostol provision, PAC providers implemented, on average, 42% of the critical steps. Multilevel influences affected PAC providers’ work, often adversely, by shaping their confidence in their technical competency, confusing their role as health care workers and as clients’ peers, and coloring their attitudes toward clientele. The PAC providers also felt that their ability to implement their responsibilities was shaped by lapses in essential support and functionality of the health care system, as well as by social and cultural norms.

Conclusions:

Technical assistance approaches that blend training, clinical quality improvement, systems strengthening, and social interventions that address demand-side barriers are needed to ensure providers achieve their potential and are able to deliver high-quality PAC.

Spatial and socio-economic correlates of effective contraception among women seeking post-abortion care in healthcare facilities in Kenya

Introduction

Information, counseling, availability of contraceptives, and their adoption by post-abortion care (PAC) patients are central to the quality of PAC in healthcare facilities. Effective contraceptive adoption by these patients reduces the risks of unintended pregnancy and repeat abortion.

Methods

This study uses data from the Incidence and Magnitude of Unsafe Abortion Study of 2012 to assess the level and determinants of highly effective contraception among patients treated with complications from an unsafe abortion in healthcare facilities in Kenya. Highly effective contraception was defined as any method adopted by a PAC patient that reduces pregnancy rate by over 99%.

Results

Generally, contraceptive counseling was high among all PAC patients (90%). However, only 54% of them received a modern family planning method—45% a short-acting method and 9% a long-acting and permanent method. Adoption of highly effective contraception was determined by patient’s previous exposure to unintended pregnancies, induced abortion and modern family planning (FP). Facility level factors associated with the uptake of highly effective contraceptives included: facility ownership, availability of evacuation procedure room, whether the facility had a specialized obstetric-gynecologist, a facility that also had maternity services and the number of FP methods available for PAC patients.

Discussion and conclusion

For better adoption of highly effective FP, counseling of PAC patients requires an understanding of the patient’s past experience with contraception and their future fertility intentions and desires in order to meet their reproductive needs more specifically. Family planning integration with PAC can increase contraceptive uptake and improve the reproductive health of post-abortion care patients.

What contraception do women use after experiencing complications from abortion? an analysis of cohort records of 18,688 postabortion care clients in Tanzania

Background

The family planning component of postabortion care (PAC) is critical, as it helps women to prevent unintended pregnancies and reduce future incidence of life-threatening unsafe abortion. In Tanzania, PAC was recently decentralized from tertiary-level district hospitals to primary health care dispensaries in four regions of the country. This analysis describes interventions used to improve access to high quality PAC services during decentralization; examines results and factors that contribute to PAC clients’ voluntary uptake of contraception; and develops recommendations for improving postabortion contraceptive services.

Methods

This analysis uses service delivery statistics of 18,688 PAC clients compiled from 120 facilities in Tanzania between 2005 and 2014.

Results

This study suggests that efforts to integrate postabortion family planning into treatment for incomplete abortion contributed to higher postabortion contraceptive uptake (86%). Results indicate that variables associated with significant differences in contraceptive uptake were facility level, age, gestational age at the time of treatment, and uterine evacuation technology used.

Conclusion

The experience of expanding PAC services in Tanzania suggests that integrating contraceptive services with treatment for abortion complications can increase family planning use.

What Factors Contribute to Postabortion Contraceptive Uptake By Young Women? A Program Evaluation in 10 Countries in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa

Across the 10 countries, 77% of 921,918 women left with a contraceptive method after receiving abortion care. While contraceptive uptake was high among all age groups, adolescents ages 15–19 were less likely to choose a method than women 25 years or older.

Background:

Unintended pregnancy disproportionately affects young women and adolescents in developing countries. The abortion care setting offers a unique opportunity for adolescents and young women to access a full range of contraceptive services. This evaluation assesses the factors that influence contraceptive uptake among adolescents and young women seeking abortion care in health facilities.

Methods:

Following provider training, we analyzed client log book data from 921,918 abortion care cases in 4,881 health facilities in 10 countries from July 2011 through June 2015. Log book data included client characteristics such as age, pregnancy gestation, type of service provided, and contraceptive method provision. Health facility characteristics were obtained through administration of a site baseline form prior to initiation of programmatic support by Ipas, an international NGO. Programmatic support included integration of postabortion contraceptive services with abortion care, improvements in commodities logistics, health worker training, upgraded recordkeeping, and post-training follow-up with providers and sites to solve problems and improve performance. We analyzed abortion cases by 3 age categories, ≤19 years, 20–24 years, and ≥25 years, and conducted unadjusted and adjusted analyses for the primary outcomes of interest: receipt of a contraceptive method at the time of care; type of contraceptive method selected; and the client, clinical care, and facility characteristics associated with contraceptive uptake.

Results:

Overall, 77% of women left the facility with a contraceptive method. The majority (84%) of contraceptive acceptors selected a short-acting method, especially oral contraceptives. In the adjusted model, women ≤19 were less likely to choose a method than women 25 years or older (odds ratio [OR], 0.87; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.79 to 0.96). Adolescents and young women were also significantly less likely to choose a long-acting, reversible contraceptive than those ages 25 or older (≤19 years: OR, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.52 to 0.67; 20–24 years: OR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.63 to 0.73). Women treated by an Ipas-trained provider were significantly more likely to select postabortion contraception than women treated by non-Ipas-trained providers (OR, 1.37; 95% CI, 1.20 to 1.57).

Conclusions:

Programmatic support to health systems, including provider training in contraceptive counseling and provision, was associated with women's higher acceptance of postabortion contraception. However, gaps remained for young women, especially adolescents, who were significantly less likely than older women to accept postabortion contraception. Health systems and facilities should pay increased attention to meeting the contraceptive needs of young women and adolescents.

Postabortion Care: 20 Years of Strong Evidence on Emergency Treatment, Family Planning, and Other Programming Components

Worldwide 75 million women need postabortion care (PAC) services each year following safe or unsafe induced abortions and miscarriages. We reviewed more than 550 studies on PAC published between 1994 and 2013 in the peer-reviewed and gray literature, covering emergency treatment, postabortion family planning, organization of services, and related topics that impact practices and health outcomes, particularly in the Global South. In this article, we present findings from studies with strong evidence that have major implications for programs and practice. For example, vacuum aspiration reduced morbidity, costs, and time in comparison to sharp curettage. Misoprostol 400 mcg sublingually or 600 mcg orally achieved 89% to 99% complete evacuation rates within 2 weeks in multiple studies and was comparable in effectiveness, safety, and acceptability to manual vacuum aspiration. Misoprostol was safely introduced in several PAC programs through mid-level providers, extending services to secondary hospitals and primary health centers. In multiple studies, postabortion family planning uptake before discharge increased by 30-70 percentage points within 1-3 years of strengthening postabortion family planning services; in some cases, increases up to 60 percentage points in 4 months were achieved. Immediate postabortion contraceptive acceptance increased on average from 32% before the interventions to 69% post-intervention. Several studies found that women receiving immediate postabortion intrauterine devices and implants had fewer unintended pregnancies and repeat abortions than those who were offered delayed insertions. Postabortion family planning is endorsed by the professional organizations of obstetricians/gynecologists, midwives, and nurses as a standard of practice; major donors agree, and governments should be encouraged to provide universal access to postabortion family planning. Important program recommendations include offering all postabortion women family planning counseling and services before leaving the facility, especially because fertility returns rapidly (within 2 to 3 weeks); postabortion family planning services can be quickly replicated to multiple sites with high acceptance rates. Voluntary family planning uptake by method should always be monitored to document program and provider performance. In addition, vacuum aspiration and misoprostol should replace sharp curettage to treat incomplete abortion for women who meet eligibility criteria.

Associations Between Abortion Services and Acceptance of Postabortion Contraception in Six Indian States

Women receiving induced abortions or postabortion care are at high risk of subsequent unintended pregnancy, and intervals of less than six months between abortion and subsequent pregnancy may be associated with adverse outcomes. This study highlights the prevalence and attributes of postabortion contraceptive acceptance from 2,456 health facilities in six major Indian states, among 292,508 women who received abortion care services from July 2011 through June 2014. Eighty‐one percent of the women accepted postabortion contraceptive methods: 53 percent short‐term, 11 percent intrauterine devices, and 16 percent sterilization. Postabortion contraceptive acceptance was highest among women who were aged 25 years and older, received first‐trimester services, received induced abortion, attended primary‐level health facilities, and had medical abortions. Doctors receiving post‐training support were more likely to offer contraceptives, but no association was observed between such support and acceptance of IUDs or sterilization. Comprehensive service‐delivery interventions, including ensuring availability of skilled providers and contraceptive commodities, offering clinical mentoring for providers, identifying and addressing provider bias, and improving provider counseling skills, can increase postabortion contraceptive acceptance and reduce unintended pregnancy.

Strengthening Postabortion Family Planning Services in Ethiopia: Expanding Contraceptive Choice and Improving Access to Long-Acting Reversible Contraception

Where unmet need for the safest, most effective, and long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs) is very high, the health system and partners need to implement problem-solving, locally feasible, and comprehensive family planning delivery strategies. Because young and unmarried women are most at risk for unintended pregnancy and repeat abortion due to poor access to contraceptive services, postabortion family planning (PAFP) is a key component in such strategies. In Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People's Region, Ethiopia, Ipas implemented health system strengthening efforts from fiscal year (FY) 2010 (July 2009 to June 2010) to FY 2014 (July 2013 to June 2014) to improve the quality of PAFP services and expand method choice in 101 public facilities. The intervention significantly improved PAFP uptake at the project sites. Specifically, the proportion of abortion clients receiving LARCs progressively improved during the intervention period. The proportion of abortion clients who left the facilities with a contraceptive method increased from 58% in FY 2010 to 83% in FY 2014. The share of method mix for LARCs rose from 2% in FY 2010 to 55% in FY 2014, while the share for condoms, injectables, and oral contraceptives declined from 98% to 45%. Implant use rose from 2% in FY 2010 to 43% in FY 2014, while the use of intrauterine devices increased from 0.1% in FY 2010 to 12% in FY 2014. A larger proportion of PAFP users received LARCs at health centers, where midwives and nurses are the primary providers, than at hospitals (59% versus 37%, respectively). A broader method mix can satisfy clients with a variety of needs, a key factor for higher uptake of more effective methods and program success. Further evidence-based interventions need to be implemented to improve the quality of PAFP in a feasible and replicable strategy that addresses unmet need for modern contraceptive methods.

What contraception do women use after abortion? An analysis of 319,385 cases from eight countries

Contraception is an essential element of high-quality abortion care. However, women seeking abortion often leave health facilities without receiving contraceptive counselling or methods, increasing their risk of unintended pregnancy. This paper describes contraceptive uptake in 319,385 women seeking abortion in 2326 public-sector health facilities in eight African and Asian countries from 2011 to 2013. Ministries of Health integrated contraceptive and abortion services, with technical assistance from Ipas, an international non-governmental organisation. Interventions included updating national guidelines, upgrading facilities, supplying contraceptive methods, and training providers. We conducted unadjusted and adjusted associations between facility level, client age, and gestational age and receipt of contraception at the time of abortion. Overall, postabortion contraceptive uptake was 73%. Factors contributing to uptake included care at a primary-level facility, having an induced abortion, first-trimester gestation, age ≥25, and use of vacuum aspiration for uterine evacuation. Uptake of long-acting, reversible contraception was low in most countries. These findings demonstrate high contraceptive uptake when it is delivered at the time of the abortion, a wide range of contraceptive commodities is available, and ongoing monitoring of services occurs. Improving availability of long-acting contraception, strengthening services in hospitals, and increasing access for young women are areas for improvement.

Does the type of abortion provider influence contraceptive uptake after abortion? An analysis of longitudinal data from 64 health facilities in Ghana

Background

Understanding what factors influence the receipt of postabortion contraception can help improve comprehensive abortion care services. The abortion visit is an ideal time to reach women at the highest risk of unintended pregnancy with the most effective contraceptive methods. The objectives of this study were to estimate the relationship between the type of abortion provider (consultant physician, house officer, or midwife) and two separate outcomes: (1) the likelihood of adopting postabortion contraception; (2) postabortion contraceptors’ likelihood of receiving a long-acting and permanent versus a short-acting contraceptive method.

Methods

We used retrospective cohort data collected from 64 health facilities in three regions of Ghana. The dataset includes information on all abortion procedures conducted between 1 January 2008 and 31 December 2010 at each health facility. We used fixed effect Poisson regression to model the associations of interest.

Results

More than half (65 %) of the 29,056 abortion clients received some form of contraception. When midwives performed the abortion, women were more likely to receive postabortion contraception compared to house officers (RR: 1.18; 95 % CI: 1.13, 1.24) or physicians (RR: 1.21; 95 % CI: 1.18, 1.25), after controlling for facility-level variation and client-level factors. Compared to women seen by house officers, abortion clients seen by midwives and physicians were more likely to receive a long-acting and permanent rather than a short-acting contraceptive method (RR: 1.46; 95 % CI: 1.23, 1.73; RR: 1.58; 95 % CI: 1.37, 1.83, respectively). Younger women were less likely to receive contraception than older women irrespective of provider type and indication for the abortion (induced or PAC).

Conclusions

When comparing consultant physicians, house officers, and midwives, the type of abortion provider is associated with whether women receive postabortion contraception and with whether abortion clients receive a long-acting and permanent or a short-acting method. New strategies are needed to ensure that women seen by physicians and house officers can access postabortion contraception and to ensure that women seen by house officers have access to long-acting and permanent contraceptive methods.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12889-015-1875-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Preconception care: promoting reproductive planning

INTRODUCTION

Preconception care recognizes that many adolescent girls and young women will be thrust into motherhood without the knowledge, skills or support they need. Sixty million adolescents give birth each year worldwide, even though pregnancy in adolescence has mortality rates at least twice as high as pregnancy in women aged 20-29 years. Reproductive planning and contraceptive use can prevent unintended pregnancies, unsafe abortions and sexually-transmitted infections in adolescent girls and women. Smaller families also mean better nutrition and development opportunities, yet 222 million couples continue to lack access to modern contraception.

METHOD

A systematic review and meta-analysis of the evidence was conducted to ascertain the possible impact of preconception care for adolescents, women and couples of reproductive age on MNCH outcomes. A comprehensive strategy was used to search electronic reference libraries, and both observational and clinical controlled trials were included. Cross-referencing and a separate search strategy for each preconception risk and intervention ensured wider study capture.

RESULTS

Comprehensive interventions can prevent first pregnancy in adolescence by 15% and repeat adolescent pregnancy by 37%. Such interventions should address underlying social and community factors, include sexual and reproductive health services, contraceptive provision; personal development programs and emphasizes completion of education. Appropriate birth spacing (18-24 months from birth to next pregnancy compared to short intervals <6 months) can significantly lower maternal mortality, preterm births, stillbirths, low birth weight and early neonatal deaths.

CONCLUSION

Improving adolescent health and preventing adolescent pregnancy; and promotion of birth spacing through increasing correct and consistent use of effective contraception are fundamental to preconception care. Promoting reproductive planning on a wider scale is closely interlinked with the reliable provision of effective contraception, however, innovative strategies will need to be devised, or existing strategies such as community-based health workers and peer educators may be expanded, to encourage girls and women to plan their families.

Preconception care: delivery strategies and packages for care

The notion of preconception care aims to target the existing risks before pregnancy, whereby resources may be used to improve reproductive health and optimize knowledge before conceiving. The preconception period provides an opportunity to intervene earlier to optimize the health of potential mothers (and fathers) and to prevent harmful exposures from affecting the developing fetus. These interventions include birth spacing and preventing teenage pregnancy, promotion of contraceptive use, optimization of weight and micronutrient status, prevention and management of infectious diseases, and screening for and managing chronic conditions. Given existing interventions and the need to organize services to optimize delivery of care in a logical and effective manner, interventions are frequently co-packaged or bundled together. This paper highlights packages of preconception interventions that can be combined and co-delivered to women through various delivery channels and provides a logical framework for development of such packages in varying contexts.

Barriers and facilitators in the provision of post-abortion care at district level in central Uganda - a qualitative study focusing on task sharing between physicians and midwives

Background

Abortion is restricted in Uganda, and poor access to contraceptive methods result in unwanted pregnancies. This leaves women no other choice than unsafe abortion, thus placing a great burden on the Ugandan health system and making unsafe abortion one of the major contributors to maternal mortality and morbidity in Uganda. The existing sexual and reproductive health policy in Uganda supports the sharing of tasks in post-abortion care. This task sharing is taking place as a pragmatic response to the increased workload. This study aims to explore physicians’ and midwives’ perception of post-abortion care with regard to professional competences, methods, contraceptive counselling and task shifting/sharing in post-abortion care.

Methods

In-depth interviews (n = 27) with health care providers of post-abortion care were conducted in seven health facilities in the Central Region of Uganda. The data were organized using thematic analysis with an inductive approach.

Results

Post-abortion care was perceived as necessary, albeit controversial and sometimes difficult to provide. Together with poor conditions post-abortion care provoked frustration especially among midwives. Task sharing was generally taking place and midwives were identified as the main providers, although they would rarely have the proper training in post-abortion care. Additionally, midwives were sometimes forced to provide services outside their defined task area, due to the absence of doctors. Different uterine evacuation skills were recognized although few providers knew of misoprostol as a method for post-abortion care. An overall need for further training in post-abortion care was identified.

Conclusions

Task sharing is taking place, but providers lack the relevant skills for the provision of quality care. For post-abortion care to improve, task sharing needs to be scaled up and in-service training for both doctors and midwives needs to be provided. Post-abortion care should further be included in the educational curricula of nurses and midwives. Scaled-up task sharing in post-abortion care, along with misoprostol use for uterine evacuation would provide a systematic approach to improving the quality of care and accessibility of services, with the aim of reducing abortion-related mortality and morbidity in Uganda.

Exploring the Role of Midwives in Uganda’s Postabortion Care: Current Practice, Barriers, and Solutions

Annually, upward of 100,000 Ugandan women receive care after a spontaneous or induced abortion. Abortion-related complications account for up to 26% of maternal deaths. Pilot projects have trained Ugandan midwives in the use of manual vacuum aspiration (MVA) for postabortion care (PAC), but to date there is no published literature exploring midwifery training and PAC practices. To better understand how PAC is provided in public Ugandan hospitals, the midwife’s training and role in PAC and the perceived barriers to providing PAC, interviews with midwives were conducted at 3 public hospitals. A framework analysis of emergent and a priori themes was conducted. Fewer than half of midwives interviewed had received formal PAC training. Current clinical practice in PAC includes MVA, dilatation and curettage, and medical management with misoprostol. Participants identified barriers to providing PAC, which include shortage of staff and equipment, transportation, cultural issues, and gender inequality. Solutions include increased staffing on maternity wards, training more midwives to perform MVA, and improved planning and communication with National Medical Stores. Community sensitization and support for young pregnant women is needed.

Measuring improvements in sexual and reproductive health and rights in sub-Saharan Africa

Recent studies on development aid from European donors revealed that their funding of the health sector in sub-Saharan Africa rarely includes performance measures suitable for tracking operational progress in improving sexual and reproductive health and rights. Analysis of health sector agreements verifies this. Particularly lacking are metrics related to four critically important areas: (1) reducing mortality and morbidity from unsafe abortion, (2) preventing and treating gender-based violence, (3) reducing unwanted pregnancies among the poorest women, and (4) reducing unwanted pregnancies among adolescents. During 2011 and the first half of 2012, the authors interviewed 85 experts in health service delivery, ministries of health, human rights, development economics and social science from sub-Saharan Africa, Europe and the United States. We asked them to identify measures to assess progress in these areas, and built on their responses to propose up to four practical performance measures for each of the areas, for inclusion in health sector support agreements. These measures are meant to supplement, not replace, current population-based measures such as changes in maternal mortality ratios. The feasibility of using these performance measures requires political commitment from donors and governments, investment in baseline data, and expanding the role of sexual and reproductive health and rights civil society in determining priorities.

Group versus individual family planning counseling in Ghana: a randomized, noninferiority trial

BACKGROUND

Group, rather than individual, family planning counseling has the potential to increase family planning knowledge and use through more efficient use of limited human resources.

STUDY DESIGN

A randomized, noninferiority study design was utilized to identify whether group family planning counseling is as effective as individual family planning counseling in Ghana. Female gynecology patients were enrolled from two teaching hospitals in Ghana in June and July 2008. Patients were randomized to receive either group or individual family planning counseling. The primary outcome in this study was change in modern contraceptive method knowledge. Changes in family planning use intention before and after the intervention and intended method type were also explored.

RESULTS

Comparisons between the two study arms suggest that randomization was successful. The difference in change in modern contraceptive methods known from baseline to follow-up between the two study arms (group-individual), adjusted for study site, was -0.21, (95% confidence interval: -0.53 to 0.12) suggesting no difference between the two arms.

CONCLUSIONS

Group family planning counseling was as effective as individual family planning counseling in increasing modern contraceptive knowledge among female gynecology patients in Ghana.

Putting provider abortion skills into practice

Global progress to reduce maternal deaths from unsafe abortion is inadequate. Clarifying abortion values and attitudes, using updated WHO safe abortion technical guidance, networking with other providers, and securing adequate abortion and contraceptive supplies can support providers to put induced abortion, postabortion care, and contraceptive skills into practice. Revised national guidelines based on updated WHO guidance can support women's healthcare providers to offer safe abortion for all legal indications and other measures to protect women's life and health. Recommendations of the United Nations and partner agencies can be used to support integration of abortion into other health programs, to expand provision of abortion care by midlevel providers, such as midwives, and to advocate for resources and results based on an expanded reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health Continuum of Care. Together, these efforts can generate concerted progress toward eliminating unsafe abortion, which is an entirely preventable cause of maternal mortality.

Relationships between antenatal and postnatal care and post-partum modern contraceptive use: evidence from population surveys in Kenya and Zambia

Background

It is often assumed, with little supportive, empirical evidence, that women who use maternal health care are more likely than those who do not to use modern contraceptives. This study aims to add to the existing literature on associations between the use of antenatal (ANC) and post-natal care (PNC) and post-partum modern contraceptives.

Methods

Data come from the most recent Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) in Kenya (2008–09) and Zambia (2007). Study samples include women who had a live birth within five years before the survey (3,667 in Kenya and 3,587 in Zambia). Multivariate proportional hazard models were used to examine the associations between the intensity of ANC and PNC service use and a woman’s adoption of modern contraceptives after a recent live birth.

Results

Tests of exogeneity confirmed that the intensity of ANC and PNC service use and post-partum modern contraceptive practice were not influenced by common unobserved factors. Cox proportional hazard models showed significant associations between the service intensity of ANC and PNC and post-partum modern contraceptive use in both countries. This relationship is largely due to ANC services; no significant associations were observed between PNC service intensity and post-partum FP practice.

Conclusions

While the lack of associations between PNC and post-partum FP use may be due to the limited measure of PNC service intensity, the study highlights a window of opportunity to promote the use of modern contraceptives after childbirth through ANC service delivery. Depending on the availability of data, further research should take into account community- and facility-level factors that may influence modern contraceptive use in examining associations between ANC and PNC use and post-partum FP practice.

Postabortion family planning counseling and services for women in low-income countries: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Unsafe abortion imposes heavy burdens on both individuals and society, particularly in low-income countries, many of which have restrictive abortion laws. Providing family planning counseling and services to women following an abortion has emerged as a key strategy to address this issue.

STUDY DESIGN

This systematic review gathered, appraised and synthesized recent research evidence on the effects of postabortion family planning counseling and services on women in low-income countries.

RESULTS

Of the 2965 potentially relevant records that were identified and screened, 15 studies satisfied the inclusion criteria. None provided evidence on the effectiveness of postabortion family planning counseling and services on maternal morbidity and mortality. One controlled study found that, compared to the group of nonbeneficiaries, women who received postabortion family planning counseling and services had significantly fewer unplanned pregnancies and fewer repeat abortions during the 12-month follow-up period. All 15 studies examined contraception-related outcomes. In the seven studies which used a comparative design, there was greater acceptance and/or use of modern contraceptives in women who had received postabortion family planning counseling and services relative to the no-program group.

CONCLUSIONS

The current evidence on the use of postabortion family planning counseling and services in low-income countries to address the problem of unsafe abortion is inconclusive. Nevertheless, the increase in acceptance and/or use of contraceptives is encouraging and has the potential to be further explored. Adequate funding to support robust research in this area of reproductive health is urgently needed.

Age matters: differential impact of service quality on contraceptive uptake among post-abortion clients in Kenya

This paper analyses the impact of high quality, user-friendly, comprehensive sliding-scale post-abortion services on clients' uptake of contraception in a Kenyan town. Data were drawn from detailed physician records in a private clinic that served 1080 post-abortion clients in 2006. All clients received confidential family planning counselling and were offered a complete range of contraceptives at no additional cost. One quarter of clients were below age 19. Prior to the abortion, no client aged 10-18 years reported having used contraception, as compared to 60% of clients aged 27-46 years. After the abortion and family planning counselling session, only 6% of clients aged 10-18 chose a method, as compared to 96% of clients aged 27-46, even though contraception was free, the provider strongly promoted family planning to everyone and all clients had just experienced an unwanted pregnancy. Significant predictors of contraceptive uptake post-abortion were: having a child, a previous termination, prior contraceptive use and being older than 21. These findings suggest that availability, affordability and youth-friendliness are not sufficient to overcome psycho-social barriers to contraceptive use for sexually-active young people in Kenya. To reduce unwanted pregnancies, more attention may be needed to developing youth-friendly communities that support responsible sexuality among adolescents.

Postabortion care counseling practiced by health professionals in southeastern Nigeria

OBJECTIVE

To determine the practice of postabortion care (PAC) counseling among healthcare professionals in southeastern Nigeria.

METHODS

A cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey conducted among healthcare professionals in Anambra State, southeastern Nigeria, in 2006. Participants were chosen using a multi-stage sampling technique. A pre-tested questionnaire assessing the practice of PAC counseling was administered.

RESULTS

A total of 431 health professionals were questioned: 270 (62.6%) medical doctors and 161 (37.4%) nurses. Of 302 (70.1%) respondents who reported practicing PAC counseling, only 173 (40.1%) had received formal training. PAC counseling was most commonly practiced by health professionals working in the University Teaching Hospital (90.5%). It was also more commonly practiced by nurses in rural areas compared with nurses working in urban areas (75 [67.6%] vs 24 [48.0%]; P=0.02).

CONCLUSION

A high proportion of health professionals reported practicing PAC counseling. However, less than half had received formal training in PAC counseling. An increased PAC training activity program, with an emphasis on counseling, is recommended for health professionals to improve the overall quality of PAC service delivery.

Meeting the needs of adolescent post-abortion care patients in the Dominican Republic

Counselling on contraception and contraceptive method provision are key components of post-abortion care (PAC). Some studies have suggested that adolescent PAC patients receive worse care than older women seeking these services. This study aimed to evaluate an intervention whose goal was to improve the counselling and contraceptive uptake of PAC patients, with special attention given to the needs of adolescent patients, in the four public hospitals in the Dominican Republic where PAC services were not being routinely offered. The counselling intervention effort included provider training and the development of adolescent-friendly information, education and communication (IEC) materials. Eighty-eight providers were interviewed at baseline and 6 months after the intervention was implemented. Six months after providers were trained, 140 adolescent PAC patients (< or = 19 years of age) and 134 older PAC patients (20-35 years) were interviewed about the contraceptive counselling messages and contraceptive methods they received before they were discharged from hospital. The adolescent and older PAC patients were matched on study hospital and time of arrival. Significant improvements were noted in provider knowledge and attitudes. No changes were noted in provider-reported PAC counselling behaviours, with close to 70% of providers reporting they routinely assess patients' fertility intentions, discuss contraception, assess STI/HIV risk and discuss post-abortion complications. Adolescent and older PAC patients reported receiving PAC counselling messages at similar rates. Forty per cent of adolescent PAC patients and 45% of older PAC patients who wanted to delay pregnancy were discharged with a contraceptive method. Adolescents were more likely to receive an injectable contraceptive method whereas older women were discharged with a variety of methods. The PAC counselling intervention increased provider knowledge and improved their attitudes and benefited both adolescent and older patients.

Medium and long-term adherence to postabortion contraception among women having experienced unsafe abortion in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Background

Postabortion contraceptive service is considered an effective means in addressing the problem of unsafe abortion; in spite this fact this component remains one of the weakest parts of postabortion care. In this context, the paper aims to describe the impact of a postabortion contraceptive service intervention among women admitted with complications from unsafe abortions and to explore the women's long-term contraceptive adherence.

Methods

392 women having experienced unsafe abortion were identified by an empathetic approach and offered postabortion contraceptive service, which included counselling on HIV and condom use. Questionnaire interviews about contraceptive use were conducted at the time of inclusion and 12 months after the abortion. Additionally, in-depth interviews were performed 6–12 months after the abortion.

Results

Eighty-nine percent of the women accepted postabortion contraception. Follow-up information was obtained 12 months after the abortion among 59 percent of the women. Among these, 79 percent of the married women and 84 percent of the single women stated they were using contraception at 12 months. Condom use among the single women increased significantly during the 12 months follow up.

Conclusion

Postabortion contraceptive services appear to be well accepted by women who are admitted with complications after an unsafe abortion and should thus be recognized as an important means in addressing the problem of unsafe abortion. In addition, counselling about HIV and condom use should be considered an essential aspect of postabortion care.

An assessment of postabortion care in three regions in Ethiopia, 2000 to 2004

OBJECTIVE

To assess postabortion care services in 3 regions in Ethiopia following provider training and service improvements between 2000 and 2004.

METHODS

Data on availability and quality of services were collected at 119 facilities in 3 regions of Ethiopia before and after postabortion care (PAC) provider training in 42 of the sites; supervision, supplies, and equipment were also provided. Changes over time, changes attributable to the training intervention, and overall self-reported improvements in PAC were assessed for outcomes of interest, including availability of uterine evacuation services, postabortion contraceptive methods and supply availability (including manual vacuum aspiration [MVA]), and minimum-skilled providers.

RESULTS

Between 2000 and 2004, the capacity for offering uterine evacuation increased from 57% to 79% among intervention facilities, while remaining relatively constant among the comparison facilities. The training intervention was significantly associated with improvements in the availability and use of MVA, the availability of a minimum number of skilled providers and availability of postabortion contraceptive services. The proportion of uterine evacuation procedures performed with MVA increased among comparison facilities, but increased even more among intervention facilities, from 14% to 50% of procedures.

CONCLUSIONS

Training and supporting providers in comprehensive PAC effectively improve women's access to PAC services in Ethiopia, but more attention must be paid to training midlevel providers, extending services into health centers, pain management, and provision of postabortion contraceptives.

Situation analysis of quality of abortion care in the main maternity hospital in Hai Phòng, Viet Nam

Six months after a Comprehensive Abortion Care project was implemented in Phu-San Hospital, the main maternity hospital in Hai Phòng, northern Viet Nam, a study of quality of abortion services was carried out. The study explored the interaction between providers and women seeking abortion and how cultural values influenced quality of care. A quantitative and qualitative approach was employed: a three-part structured survey with 748 women before and after they had an abortion, 20 in-depth interviews with women just after abortion, seven informal interviews with health care staff and 100 participant observations. Both the women and the staff equated quality of care mainly with improved technical performance of abortion. Insufficient knowledge and skills had a negative impact on provision of information and good quality counselling in relation to understanding and uptake of contraception, treating reproductive tract infection and preventing post-abortion infection. To further improve abortion care in hospitals such as Phu-San, training programmes are needed that integrate counselling and clinical skills and address the cultural factors that hinder health staff and women from interacting in an equitable manner. A supportive supervisory system that holds health staff accountable for conducting high quality information and counselling sessions should also be established.

Scaling-up a public health innovation: A comparative study of post-abortion care in Bolivia and Mexico

Post-abortion care (PAC), an innovation for treating women with complications of unsafe abortion, has been introduced in public health systems around the world since the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD). This article analyzes the process of scaling-up two of the three key elements of the original PAC model: providing prompt clinical treatment to women with abortion complications and offering post-abortion contraceptive counseling and methods in Bolivia and Mexico. The conceptual framework developed from this comparative analysis includes the environmental context for PAC scale-up; the major influences on start-up, expansion, and institutionalization of PAC; and the health, financial, and social impacts of institutionalization. Start-up in both Bolivia and Mexico was facilitated by innovative leaders or catalyzers who were committed to introducing PAC services into public health care settings, collaboration between international organizations and public health institutions, and financial resources. Important processes for successful PAC expansion included strengthening political commitment to PAC services through research, advocacy, and partnerships; improving health system capacity through training, supervision, and development of service guidelines; and facilitating health system access to essential technologies. Institutionalization of PAC has been more successful in Bolivia than Mexico, as measured by a series of proposed indicators. The positive health and financial impacts of PAC institutionalization have been partially measured in Bolivia and Mexico. Other hypotheses--that scaling-up PAC will significantly reduce maternal mortality and morbidity, decrease abortion-related stigma, and prepare the way for efforts to reform restrictive abortion laws and policies--have yet to be tested.

Unsafe abortion: the preventable pandemic

Ending the silent pandemic of unsafe abortion is an urgent public-health and human-rights imperative. As with other more visible global-health issues, this scourge threatens women throughout the developing world. Every year, about 19-20 million abortions are done by individuals without the requisite skills, or in environments below minimum medical standards, or both. Nearly all unsafe abortions (97%) are in developing countries. An estimated 68 000 women die as a result, and millions more have complications, many permanent. Important causes of death include haemorrhage, infection, and poisoning. Legalisation of abortion on request is a necessary but insufficient step toward improving women's health; in some countries, such as India, where abortion has been legal for decades, access to competent care remains restricted because of other barriers. Access to safe abortion improves women's health, and vice versa, as documented in Romania during the regime of President Nicolae Ceausescu. The availability of modern contraception can reduce but never eliminate the need for abortion. Direct costs of treating abortion complications burden impoverished health care systems, and indirect costs also drain struggling economies. The development of manual vacuum aspiration to empty the uterus, and the use of misoprostol, an oxytocic agent, have improved the care of women. Access to safe, legal abortion is a fundamental right of women, irrespective of where they live. The underlying causes of morbidity and mortality from unsafe abortion today are not blood loss and infection but, rather, apathy and disdain toward women.

Counting abortions so that abortion counts: Indicators for monitoring the availability and use of abortion care services

SUMMARY

Maternal mortality reduction has been a focus of major international initiatives for the past two decades. Widespread provision of emergency obstetric care (EmOC) has been shown to be an important strategy for addressing many of the complications that might otherwise lead to maternal death. However, unsafe abortion is one of the major causes of pregnancy-related deaths, and will be only partially addressed by EmOC. This manuscript presents a comprehensive approach to measuring whether abortion-related needs are met.

PROPOSED METHODS

We propose a set of indicators for monitoring the implementation of safe abortion care (SAC) interventions. We build on the model developed for monitoring the availability and use of Emergency Obstetric (EmOC) services. We describe the critical elements ("signal functions") of SAC - including treatment of abortion complications, legal, induced abortion and postabortion contraception - and define the indicators necessary to assess the availability, utilization and quality of abortion-related services.

SAMPLE EVIDENCE

Data from 5 countries suggest there are sufficient service delivery points to provide decentralized abortion care, but that the full range of necessary abortion care services may not be provided at all these sites. Studies from several countries also show that many women receiving services for the treatment of abortion complications accept contraceptive methods when offered prior to discharge. This is an important strategy for reducing unwanted pregnancy, repeat unsafe abortion and risk for abortion-related mortality. Both findings suggest there are considerable opportunities within the present facilities to improve the delivery of abortion care services.

CONCLUSION

This article recommends that the proposed model undergo field-testing on its own or in conjunction with the EmOC indicators, and encourages increased support for this important but often neglected aspect of pregnancy-related health.

Post-abortion care and voluntary HIV counselling and testing - an example of integrating HIV prevention into reproductive health services

OBJECTIVE

To assess the acceptance and outcome of voluntary HIV counselling and testing (VCT) among women who had an unsafe abortion.

METHOD

706 women were provided with post-abortion contraceptive service and offered VCT. We collected data on socioeconomic characteristics and contraceptive use and determined the HIV status of those who accepted VCT. Using a nested case-control design, we compared women who accepted HIV testing with women who did not. To study the association between socioeconomic factors, HIV testing acceptance and condom use in more detail, we did stratified analyses based on age and marital status.

RESULTS

58% of the women who had an unsafe abortion accepted HIV testing. Women who earned an income were more likely to accept testing than housewives. Women who accepted testing were more likely to accept using a condom. The HIV prevalence rate was 19% among single women aged 20-24 years and 25% among single women aged 25-45 years.

CONCLUSION

HIV testing and condoms were accepted by most women who had an unsafe abortion. The poor reproductive health of these women could be improved by good post-abortion care that includes contraceptive counselling, VCT and condom promotion.

Scaling up postabortion contraceptive service — results from a study conducted among women having unwanted pregnancies in urban and rural Tanzania

INTRODUCTION

It is well recognized that unwanted pregnancies and unsafe abortion are significant public health problems in sub-Saharan Africa. At the International Conference on Population and Development held in Cairo in 1994, postabortion care was prioritized as a means to reduce maternal morbidity and mortality associated with unsafe abortion. However, only a few postabortion care programs have been implemented and most of them have been confined to urban settings. The present study describes the magnitude of the problem of unwanted pregnancies among women with incomplete abortion in urban and rural Tanzania and evaluates the outcome of a postabortion care intervention.

METHODS

Data were collected among 781 women admitted with incomplete abortion in Dar es Salaam region (urban Tanzania) and 575 women in Kagera region (rural Tanzania).

RESULTS

Sixty-seven percent of the women in urban Tanzania and 42% in rural Tanzania stated that their pregnancy was unwanted. Contraceptive acceptance among women with unwanted pregnancies was high; 93% in urban Tanzania and 71% in rural Tanzania left with a contraceptive method.

CONCLUSION

The high proportion of women with unwanted pregnancies in urban and rural Tanzania underlines the need of scaling up postabortion contraceptive service.

The magnitude of abortion complications in Kenya

OBJECTIVE

To estimate and describe the magnitude of abortion complications presenting at public hospitals in Kenya.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional descriptive study.

SETTING

Hospital-based. Population Records of all women presenting prior to 22 weeks of gestation with abortion-related complications at selected hospitals during a three-week study period. All public tertiary and provincial hospitals were included; stratified random sampling was employed to select a subset of 54 district hospitals nationwide.

METHODS

Data collectors identified 809 patients with abortion complications on all hospital wards and completed a standardised questionnaire for each by extracting information from the patient's hospital record.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Incidence, aetiology, morbidity and mortality of abortion complications.

RESULTS

Most women (80%) presented with incomplete abortion. Approximately 34% of the women had reached the second trimester of pregnancy. Adolescents (14-19 years old) accounted for approximately 16% of the study sample. Manual vacuum aspiration was used to manage 80% of first trimester cases. The projected annual number of women with abortion complications admitted to public hospitals in Kenya is 20,893. The case fatality rate was estimated to be 0.87% (95% CI 0.71-1.02%), so an estimated 182 (95% CI 148-213) of these women die annually. The annual incidence of incomplete abortion and other abortion-related complications per 1000 women aged 15 to 49 years is projected to be 3.03.

CONCLUSIONS

The high rate of abortion-related morbidity and mortality documented in the study highlights the critical need to address the issue of unsafe abortion in Kenya.

Evaluating Abortion-care Programs: Old Challenges, New Directions

The evaluation of abortion-care programs and policies has been largely neglected by both national governments and international organizations. This article provides a conceptual framework for evaluating the intermediate outcomes of a safe abortion program, including laws and policies, women's care-seeking behavior, and the quality of, access to, and use of services. The methodological challenges in evaluating these outcomes are described. For each outcome, key indicators for measuring progress in program implementation are offered, along with country examples of successful evaluation approaches. The article concludes with recommendations for improvements in infrastructure, resource availability, and political commitment to support evaluation of safe abortion programs.

Acceptance of contraceptives among women who had an unsafe abortion in Dar es Salaam

OBJECTIVE

To assess the need for post-abortion contraception and to determine if women who had an unsafe abortion will use a contraceptive method to avoid repeated unwanted pregnancies and STDs/HIV.

METHOD

Women attending Temeke Municipal Hospital, Dar es Salaam, after an unsafe abortion or an induced abortion performed at the hospital (n=788) were counselled about contraception and the risk of contracting STDs/HIV. A free ward-based contraceptive service was offered and the women were asked to return for follow-up.

RESULTS

Participants (90%) accepted the post-abortion contraceptive service. Of these, 86% stated they were still using contraception 1-6 months after discharge. Initially, 55% of the women accepted to use condoms either alone or as part of double protection. After 1-6 months this proportion had dropped to 18%. Single women were significantly more likely to use condoms.

CONCLUSION

High-quality contraceptive service counselling can induce women to use contraception after having had an unsafe abortion. The results of our study are encouraging and should be used to convince policy makers of the need to implement such services at municipal level to reduce the number of repeated unsafe abortions.

Abortion risk and decisionmaking among young people in urban Cameroon

This study examines the use of induced abortion among Cameroonian adolescents and young women, based on biographical data collected in 1997 among young women and men residing in Yaoundé. Results suggest a high prevalence of abortion during adolescence and early adulthood (35 percent of all pregnancies reported). Although most clandestine abortions were performed by a physician or a nurse, the prevalence of abortion performed by nonmedical personnel or using unsafe methods is still high, and postabortion health complications are reported for about one-fourth of all abortions. Logistic regression models are used to examine the effect of women's, partners', and relationships' characteristics at the time of pregnancy on the odds that a pregnancy will be terminated through abortion. The analysis shows a significant effect of school enrollment, parity, and stability and social acknowledgment of the sexual relationship on the risk of having an abortion. Young men's involvement in decisions and their motivations concerning abortion are also examined.

Reducing unplanned pregnancy and abortion in Zimbabwe through postabortion contraception

In many countries, women treated for complications from spontaneous or unsafely induced abortion lack access to contraceptive services. As a result, many of them soon have a subsequent unplanned pregnancy or a repeat abortion, placing their health at increased risk. This report presents the results of a prospective intervention study on postabortion family planning conducted in the two largest public hospitals in Zimbabwe. Women at Harare Central Hospital, in the capital, received a postabortion family planning intervention, and Mpilo Central Hospital, in Bulawayo, served as the control site. The study cohort was 982 women, 527 of whom were followed for a 12-month period. During the follow-up period, significantly more women used highly effective methods of contraception, significantly fewer unplanned pregnancies occurred, and fewer repeat abortions were performed at the intervention site than at the control site. These results offer compelling evidence that ward-based contraceptive services provided to women treated for incomplete abortion can significantly reduce subsequent unplanned pregnancies. The results also suggest that postabortion family planning services can reduce the incidence of repeat abortion.

The effectiveness of preabortion contraception counseling

OBJECTIVE

To demonstrate the impact of preabortion counseling followed by immediate postabortal provision of the chosen method on postabortion contraceptive use.

METHODS

Three hundred and forty-two women undergoing voluntary termination of pregnancy at less than 10 weeks gestation were enrolled at the Woman and Child Health Training and Research Clinic, Medical School of Istanbul. Clinic visits and telephone surveys were performed to measure contraceptive use at 6 months following abortion.

RESULT

Two hundred and thirty-six women either visited the clinic or responded to the telephone survey. Eighty percent of the respondents reported use of a modern contraceptive as compared to less than 40% prevalence found in the national survey.

CONCLUSION

Preabortion counseling combined with immediate postabortal provision of contraceptives may significantly increase contraceptive use at 6 months postprocedure.

The effect of power in sexual relationships on sexual and reproductive health: an examination of the evidence

This article reviews what has been learned to date about the role of gender-based power in sexual relationships in determining sexual and reproductive health outcomes. A framework for assessing the relationship between power relations and reproductive health is outlined and measurement issues are critically discussed. A summary is included of the main types of intervention approaches that have been implemented, as are a discussion of the programmatic, methodological, and ethical implications of the findings and recommendations for further experimentation and research. Although many challenges remain, results to date suggest that when the role of gender-based power is made an integral feature of sexual and reproductive health programs, there is a considerable payoff for both women and men.

Strategies for integrating primary health services in middle- and low-income countries: effects on performance, costs and patient outcomes

BACKGROUND

Integration of primary health care is change to bring together inputs, organisation, management and delivery of particular service functions. Integration has been promoted in the health sector to improve the efficiency of health care delivery. The need for integration arose from perceptions that services were fragmented when delivered through separate vertical programmes. Integration is relevant to the health system at various levels, and this review is concerned with integration at the point of delivery.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the effects of strategies to integrate primary health care services on producing a more coherent product and improving health care delivery and health status, in relation to service cost, outputs, impact and user acceptability.

SEARCH STRATEGY

We searched the Cochrane Effective Practice and Organisation of Care Group specialised register (August 2000), MEDLINE (1966 to September 2000), EMBASE (1988 to September 2000), Socio Files (1974 to September 2000), Popline (1970 to September 2000), HealthStar (1975 to September 2000), Cinahl (1982 to September 2000); Cab Health (1972 to 1999), International Bibliography of the Social Sciences (1970 to 1999), and reference lists of articles. We also searched the Internet and World Health Organization (WHO) library database, hand searched relevant WHO publications and contacted experts in the field.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Randomised trials, controlled before and after studies, and interrupted time series analyses of integration strategies in primary health care services. Health services in high-income countries were excluded. The primary outcomes were service outputs: productivity and coverage, impact, user acceptability and unit cost.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two reviewers independently extracted data and assessed study quality.

MAIN RESULTS

Four studies were included. There was no consistent pattern of benefit. Integration had a clear positive effect on the outputs in only one study; in another it had similar effects to vertical programme delivery but greater effect than the control group. In the other two studies integration resulted in negative outputs in comparison with vertical programmes, although in one of these integration performed better than the control group.

REVIEWER'S CONCLUSIONS

Few studies of good quality, large and with rigorous study design have been carried out to investigate the evidence to support integration as a style of service delivery. In fact, some studies found greater effects for vertical health care delivery. Policy makers and planners considering integration could introduce strategies, using rigorous study design, to allow further evaluation and increase the base of studies from which to draw evidence.

Easing the pain: pain management in the treatment of incomplete abortion

Although there have been significant improvements in post-abortion care programmes around the world, improving pain management has remained a significant challenge. The introduction of manual vacuum aspiration (MVA) has led to many positive changes in programmes, but the guidelines for pain control have generally been vague. Women are often treated with no pain control or in some cases receive too much pain medication. There are many factors contributing to this situation, including: the belief that women who have induced an abortion should be punished, the idea that pain control is unnecessary, the lack of availability of drugs and inadequate training and/or skills of providers. This paper argues for a greater focus on this important element of quality of care and for clearer guidelines on pain management during treatment of incomplete abortion with MVA. This includes the provision of analgesics immediately before the procedure, counselling and reassurance during the procedure and local anaesthesia when necessary.