Global prevalence of post-abortion depression: systematic review and Meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Depression after abortion is a common problem for all women of reproductive age. However, there are not any data on post-abortion depression at a global level. Consequently, the purpose of this study was to find out the global prevalence of post-abortion depression.

METHODS

The present study involved a comprehensive search of several databases, including Science Direct, Scopus, EMBSE, Google Scholar, and PubMed. The search was conducted between February 1, 2023, and March 10, 2023. The data was extracted using Microsoft Excel (version 14) and analyzed using STATA statistical software. To evaluate publication bias, a forest plot, Begg's test, and Egger's test were employed. Heterogeneity was assessed using I2, and a pooled estimated analysis was conducted. Additionally, subgroup analysis was performed based on the study continent/region, World Bank income group, screening instrument, and study design.

RESULTS

This analysis included 15 papers with a total of 18,207 research participants out of a total of 657 articles. The overall pooled prevalence of post-abortion depression was found to be 34.5% (95% CI: 23.34, 45.68), with an I2 value of 71.6%. The prevalence of post-abortion depression varied based on geographic location, World Health Organization (WHO) regions, World Bank income category, screening approach, and study design. The highest proportion of post-abortion depression was observed in Asia (37.5%), while the WHO's Eastern Mediterranean region had the greatest rate of post-abortion depression (43.1%). Lower-middle-income countries had the highest frequency of post-abortion depression (42.91%) based on World Bank economic classification. The Center of Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale was found to have the highest incidence of reported depression prevalence (30%) across diagnostic tools. Furthermore, the prevalence of depression was higher in cross-sectional study designs (36.42%) compared to cohort studies (22.7%).

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, the occurrence of post-abortion depression has been observed to be widespread globally. The prevalence of post-abortion is found to be influenced by several factors, including the methodology employed in the study, the diagnostic tool utilized, the geographical location, and the socioeconomic status of the population. Healthcare providers should prioritize the provision of post-abortion counseling, care, and emotional support to women.

Implementation strategies, facilitators, and barriers to scaling up and sustaining post pregnancy family planning, a mixed-methods systematic review

BACKGROUND

Post pregnancy family planning includes both postpartum and post-abortion periods. Post pregnancy women remain one of the most vulnerable groups with high unmet need for family planning. This review aimed to describe and assess the quality of the evidence on implementation strategies, facilitators, and barriers to scaling up and sustaining post pregnancy family planning.

METHODS

Electronic bibliographic databases (MEDLINE, PubMed, Scopus, the Cochrane Library, and Global Index Medicus) were searched from inception to October 2022 for primary quantitative, qualitative, and mixed method reports on scaling up post pregnancy family planning. Abstracts, titles, and full-text papers were assessed according to the inclusion criteria to select studies regardless of country, language, publication status, or methodological limitations. Data were extracted and methodological quality assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. The convergent integrated approach and a deductive thematic synthesis were used to identify themes and sub-themes of strategies to scale up post pregnancy family planning. The health system building blocks were used to summarize barriers and facilitators. GRADE-CERQual was used to assess our confidence in the findings.

RESULTS

Twenty-nine reports (published 2005-2022) were included: 19 quantitative, 7 qualitative, and 3 mixed methods. Seven were from high-income countries, and twenty-two from LMIC settings. Sixty percent of studies had an unclear risk of bias. The included reports used either separate or bundled strategies for scaling-up post pregnancy family planning. These included strategies for healthcare infrastructure, policy and regulation, financing, human resource, and people at the point of care. Strategies that target the point of care (women and / or their partners) contributed to 89.66% (26/29) of the reports either independently or as part of a bundle. Point of care strategies increase adoption and coverage of post pregnancy contraceptive methods.

CONCLUSION

Post pregnancy family planning scaling up strategies, representing a range of styles and settings, were associated with improved post pregnancy contraceptive use. Factors that influence the success of implementing these strategies include issues related to counselling, integration in postnatal or post-abortion care, and religious and social norms.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Center for Open Science, OSF.IO/EDAKM.

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.

The significant influence of history of induced abortion on the utilisation of long-acting reversible contraceptive methods in the immediate post abortion period, Northern Ethiopia

BACKGROUND

Rapid population growth, untended pregnancy, and related consequences remain the concern of Sub-Saharan African countries, including Ethiopia. Despite this, long-acting reversible contraceptives methods are still underutilised and no studies have sought the factors in this study setting. Therefore, this study conducted to assess the prevalence and determining factors of long-acting reversible contraceptives utilisation following an abortion in Northern Ethiopia.

METHOD

Facility-based cross-sectional study design was employed. A total of340 post aborted women selected by a systematic sampling method from August 1 to October 30, 2018. Data were entered into Epi-Info version 7 software and exported to SPSS version 20 for analysis. Both bivariate and multivariate logistic regression models were used to identify factors associated with the outcome variable.

RESULTS

The overall post-abortion long-acting reversible contraceptives utilisation was 57(16.76%) with 47(82.46%) implantand 10 (17.54%) intrauterine devices. Age range 20-29 years (AOR = 0.09, 95% CI 0.02-0.37), employed (AOR = 5.22, 95% CI 1.99-13.67), had ≥2 alive children (AOR = 7.02, 95% CI 1.58-31.23), induced abortion (AOR = 8.41, 95% CI 3.28-21.59), surgical abortion (AOR = 5.99, 95% CI 2.25-15.94), previous awareness (AOR = 3.18, 95% CI 1.14-8.82) and history of prior utilisation (AOR = 3.59, 95% CI 1.08-11.97) were the factors significantly associated with utilisation of post-abortion long-acting reversible contraceptives.

CONCLUSION

Long-acting reversible contraceptive methods level of utilisation following an abortion in this study was low. Advocating and raising awareness should always consider on benefits and effectiveness of long-acting reversible contraceptives for all type of abortion and methods of termination as an integral part of reproductive health care services.

Factors associated with uptake of post-abortion family planning in Shire town, Tigray, Ethiopia

Objectives

Post-abortion contraceptive service is pivotal for the prevention of unwanted pregnancy and alleviation of its complication. Worldwide half of the pregnancy is unplanned, whereas unwanted pregnancy ends up with abortion. This study assessed post-abortion contraceptive uptake and associated factors among abortion service users at health institution in Shire town, North Ethiopia. Institutional based cross-sectional study was conducted from December 15/2016 to March 15, 2017, in Shire town. Data were collected using systematic random sampling technique. Bivariate and multivariable analyses were done to determine the association of each independent variable with the dependent variable.

Results

Overall post-abortion contraceptive utilization in this study was 61.5%. Married [AOR 2.59, 95% CI (1.16, 5.65)], completed College education [AOR 5.69, 95% CI (1.61, 20.11)], previous contraceptive used [AOR 3.62, 95% CI (1.77, 7.40)], counseling of family planning [AOR 3.53 95% CI (1.69, 7.37)], grand multipara [AOR 7.91, 95% CI (1.66, 37.74)] and public health institution [AOR 5.95, 95% CI (3.03, 11.72)] were significantly associated with the post-abortion contraceptive utilization. In this study, post-abortion contraceptive utilization was about two-third. Being married, had been completing a college education, had been receiving family planning counseling, previous contraceptive usage, abortion care service at public health institution, and being grand multiparty were determinants of post-abortion contraceptive utilization.

Survival from Clostridium toxic shock syndrome: Case report and review of the literature

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This case is a rare presentation of C. sordellii toxic shock syndrome resulting from a Caesarian section.

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This is the only obstetric case of C. sordellii to have survived.

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Extreme levels of a leukocytosis and hypotension without fevers raises suspiscion for this severe infection.

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Broad spectrum antibiotics, including coverage for anaerobic organisms, and surgical intervention is the standard of care.

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At the moment, no early detection or antitoxins are commercially available.

Introduction

Clostridial toxic shock is a rare syndrome traditionally described in case studies and reviews as a uniformly fatal condition associated with post-partum and post-abortion. Clostridium sordellii was first mentioned in scientific literature as a human pathogen in 1922 when Argentinian microbiologist Alfredo Sordellii identified the organism in gangrenous wounds. Over the past century, there has been infrequent discussion and little awareness surrounding this serious condition. Information about patients who survived C. sordellii toxic shock is essentially nonexistent.

Presentation of case

A 31-year old post-partum female who underwent caesarian section 17 days prior, presented with abdominal pain and septic features. She underwent six operations/procedures over the next 17 days and was hospitalized for 25 days before discharge to her home with a successful outcome.

Discussion

This case provides insight on the process of identifying and managing complications associated with clostridial toxic shock syndrome. Out of now, 16 reported cases of C sordellii gynecologic infections in the world literature, our patient is the second patient to survive infection by this organism. More research is needed to provide clinicians with evidence-based approaches for managing these unique cases.

Conclusion

We present a case report of a rare toxic shock syndrome in a post-partum female caused by Clostridium sordellii. Her survival is notable among 16 patients with whom this infection now has a documented 87.5% mortality rate. Aggressive surgical measures and optimized intensive care management may have contributed to this patient’s survival.

Service provider perspectives on post-abortion contraception in Nepal

The government of Nepal has articulated a commitment to the provision of post-abortion contraception since the implementation of a legal safe abortion policy in 2004. Despite this, gaps in services remain. This study examined the perspectives of abortion service providers and administrators regarding strengths and shortcomings of post-abortion contraceptive service provision. In-depth interviews were conducted with 24 abortion providers and administrators at four major health facilities that provide legal abortion in Nepal. Facility factors perceived to impact post-abortion contraceptive services included on-site availability of contraceptive supplies, dedicated and well-trained staff and adequate infrastructure. Cultural norms emerged as influencing contraceptive demand by patients, including method use being unacceptable for women whose husbands migrate and limited decision-making power among women. Service providers described their personal views on appropriate childbearing and the use of specific contraceptive methods that influenced counselling. Findings suggest that improvements to a facility's infrastructure and training to address provider biases and misinformation may improve post-abortion family planning uptake. Adapting services to be sensitive to cultural expectations and norms may help address some barriers to contraceptive use. More research is needed to determine how to best meet the contraceptive needs of women who have infrequent sexual activity or who may face stigma for using family planning, including adolescents, unmarried women and women whose husbands migrate.

[Choriocarcinoma: a hidden face of pemphigoid gestationis]

Gestationis pemphigoid is an autoimmune subepidermal blistering dermatosis occurring predominantly in pregnancy, more seldom in early puerperium, and exceptionally in post-abortion. The association of gestationis pemphigoid with choriocarcinoma is extremely rare. We report this association in a patient of 35 years in which the diagnosis of gestationis pemphigoid was made on clinical, histological and immunological criteria, and the one of choriocarcinoma was made on clinical, biological radiological and histological criteria. Through this article, we put the item on this association reported for the first time in post-abortion.