Post-abortion Family Planning Services Research Articles

Factors Associated with the Choice of Contraceptive Method following an Induced Abortion after Receiving PFPS Counseling among Women Aged 20–49 Years in Hunan Province, China

There is limited research on postabortion family planning (PAFP) services and subsequent contraception in China. The current study aimed to identify women's contraceptive methods choices and associated factors after receiving PAFP services. A cross-sectional study used a cluster, stratified and multistage random sample to collect data. All eligible data were analyzed using SPSS 26.0. The chi-square test was used to assess the association between categorical variables. Significant variables (p < 0.05) and all potential variables were then included in the binary logistic regression model for analysis. Approximately 84.7% (1043/1231) of participants had received pre-abortion PAFP counselling, and approximately 90% of them chose reliable methods. Farmers or workers (OR = 0.297, 95% CI: 0.130-0.683), family monthly income (3000-4999 RMB, OR = 0.454, 95% CI: 0.212-0.973; ≥5000 RMB, OR = 0.455, 95% CI: 0.228-0.909), reliable advice from services providers before abortion (OR = 0.098, 95% CI: 0.039-0.250), painless surgical abortion (OR = 3.465, 95% CI 1.177-10.201), and postabortion follow-up (OR = 0.543, 95% CI: 0.323-0.914) and were associated with contraception choice after receiving PAFP services. This study emphasizes the importance of pre-abortion PAFP counselling, postabortion follow-up, and increased focus on women who have experienced painless abortion. The study provides direction for PAFP services policymakers, as well as a reference for contraceptive counselling research around the world.

A qualitative study of safe abortion and post-abortion family planning service experiences of women attending private facilities in Kenya

BackgroundTo inform improvements in safe abortion and post-abortion family planning (PAFP) services, this study aimed to explore the pathways, decision-making, experiences and preferences of women receiving safe abortion and post-abortion family planning (PAFP) at private clinics in western Kenya.MethodsWe conducted semi-structured interviews with 22 women who had recently used a safe abortion service from a private clinic. Interviews explored abortion-seeking behaviour and decision-making, abortion experience, use and knowledge of contraception, experience of PAFP counselling, and perceived facilitators of and challenges to family planning use.ResultsRespondents discovered their pregnancies due to physical symptoms, which were confirmed using pregnancy testing kits, often purchased from pharmacies. Respondents usually discussed their abortion decision with their partner, and, sometimes, carefully-selected friends or family members. Some reported being referred to private clinics for abortion services directly from other providers. Others had more complex pathways, first seeking care from unsafe providers, trying to self-induce abortion, being turned away from alternative safe facilities that were closed or too busy, or taking time to gather financial resources to pay for care. Participants wanted to use abortion services at facilities reputed for being accessible, clean, medically safe, and offering quick, respectful, private and courteous services. Awareness of reputable clinics was gained through personal experience, and recommendations from contacts and other health providers.Most participants had previously used contraception, with some reports of incorrect use and many reports of side effects. PAFP counselling was valued by clients, but some accounts suggested the counselling lacked comprehensive information. Many women chose contraception immediately following PAFP counselling; but others wanted to delay decision-making about contraception until the abortion was complete.ConclusionWomen’s pathways to safe abortion care can be complex, including use of multiple abortion methods, delays due to financial barriers, and challenges accessing safe providers. Improvements in community knowledge of safe abortion care and accessibility of services are needed to reduce recourse to unsafe abortion. PAFP counselling is valued by clients but quality of counselling can be improved by exploring women’s contraceptive histories, including information on more contraceptive methods, and inclusion of support for women who want to delay family planning uptake until their abortion is complete.

Effects of post-abortion family planning services on preventing unintended pregnancy and repeat abortion (INPAC): a cluster randomised controlled trial in 30 Chinese provinces

BackgroundAround 10 million induced abortions are conducted annually in China; a third of the women having had those abortions have undergone repeat abortions. Most abortions are performed in hospital settings in which post-abortion family planning (PAFP) services are often lacking. This study aims to evaluate the effects of integrating PAFP services into abortion services on the reduction of unintended pregnancy and repeat abortion in China. MethodsThis was a three-arm cluster (hospital) randomised controlled trial. Study participants were women undergoing an abortion within 12 weeks of pregnancy. 90 hospitals were selected from 30 Chinese provinces and allocated randomly (1:1) into two intervention groups or one control group. Intervention group 1 included provision of family planning information, contraceptive counselling, involvement of the male partner, and free provision of contraception; intervention group 2 included incentive mechanisms for health-care providers in addition to group 1; and the control group received normal care, with no intervention. Eligible women were followed up for 6 months. The primary outcomes were the rates of unintended pregnancies and repeat induced abortions. We used a three-level random intercept model to estimate the effects of intervention using a generalised linear mixed model, and we used SAS PROC GLIMMIX with maximum likelihood with Laplace approximation to perform this multilevel modelling approach. This study received ethical approval from the Ethical Committees at Ghent University, Belgium, on May 26, 2014 (B670201421116), and from the National Research Institute for Family Planning, China, on March 6, 2014. All participants provided a Chinese written informed consent. This trial has been registered at International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial, number ISRCTN01846583. FindingsWe recruited 17 235 eligible women from July 11, 2014, to Aug 20, 2015. The intervention 1 group included 5856 women, intervention 2 group included 5791 women, and the control group included 5588 women. The proportion of patients who were followed up for up to 6 months were similar in the three groups (74·7% [4372 of 5856] in intervention group 1, 77·1% [4466 of 5791] in intervention group 2, and 75·7% [4231 of 5588] in the control group). The proportion of patients with unintended pregnancy within 6 months after abortion was lower in both intervention groups (1·2% [59 of 5011] in group 1 and 1·2% [58 of 4986] in group 2) than in the control group (3·2% [155 of 4817]). The proportion of patients who had a repeat abortion was 0·9% (45 of 5011) for the intervention group 1, 0·8% (41 of 4986) for the intervention group 2, and 1·6% (77 of 4817) for the control group (ie, 16–38% lower in the interventions group than that in the control group). Statistical analysis is ongoing. InterpretationIntegrating post-abortion family planning services into hospital-based abortion services could decrease unintended pregnancy and repeat abortions. A policy and guidelines on integration of PAFP into routine abortion services is urgently needed to reduce the number of abortions. FundingEuropean Commission FP7 (282490).

A qualitative exploration of perceptions and experiences of contraceptive use, abortion and post-abortion family planning services (PAFP) in three provinces in China

BackgroundThe INPAC project aims to evaluate the effectiveness of integrated post-abortion family planning (PAFP) services into existing hospital based abortion services in China. A qualitative study was conducted in three provinces to contribute to developing effective PAFP services through understanding influences on contraceptive use, experiences of abortion and existing PAFP, and their effect on future contraceptive practices from the perspective of users, in the context of social and institutional change.MethodsTwenty-nine in-depth interviews (IDIs) were undertaken with women who had experienced abortion between 1 and 6 months prior to interview, recruited from three urban and two rural facilities in each province. Thirteen IDIs were also conducted with male partners. Six focus group discussions (FGDs) were carried out with community members from different social groups, including unmarried and married women and men, urban residents and rural-to-urban migrants.ResultsSocial networks and norms are important in shaping attitudes and behaviour towards abortion and contraception. Widespread concerns were expressed about side-effects, reliability and effects on future fertility of some modern contraceptives. The combination of limited information and choices and a lack of person-centred counselling in PAFP with anxieties about side effects underlies the widespread use of unreliable methods. Gendered power relations significantly influence contraceptive (non)use, with several examples illustrating women’s relative lack of power to decide on a method, particularly in the case of condoms. Although the availability of contraceptive information from respected providers can offer impetus for individual behaviour change, social distance from providers reduces opportunities for clients to discuss their difficulties regarding contraceptive use; particularly, but not exclusively for young, unmarried clients.ConclusionsIncreased access to non-commercial, reliable information on contraceptive methods is needed. PAFP services must go beyond simple information provision to ensure that providers take a more person-centred approach, which considers the most appropriate method for individual clients and probes for the underlying influences on contraceptive (non)use. More sensitive reflection on gender norms and relationships is required during counselling and, where women choose this, efforts should be made to include their male partners. Specific attention to provider positionality and skills for counselling young, unmarried clients is needed.

Opportunities, challenges and systems requirements for developing post-abortion family planning services: Perceptions of service stakeholders in China.

Post-abortion family planning (PAFP) has been proposed as a key strategy to decrease unintended pregnancy and repeat induced abortions. However, the accessibility and quality of PAFP services remain a challenge in many countries including China where more than 10 million unintended pregnancies occur each year. Most of these unwanted pregnancies end in repeated induced abortions. This paper aims to explore service providers’ perceptions of the current situation regarding family planning and abortion service needs, provision, utilization, and the feasibility and acceptability of high quality PAFP in the future. Qualitative methods, including in-depth interviews and focus group discussions, were used with family planning policy makers, health managers, and service providers. Three provinces—Zhejiang, Hubei and Yunnan—were purposively selected, representing high, medium and relatively undeveloped areas of China. A total of fifty-three in-depth interviews and ten focus-group discussions were conducted and analysed thematically. Increased numbers of abortions among young, unmarried women were perceived as a major reason for high numbers of abortions. Participants attributed this to increasing socio-cultural acceptability of premarital sex, and simultaneously, lack of understanding or awareness of contraception among young people. The majority of service stakeholders acknowledged that free family planning services were neither targeted at, nor accessible to unmarried people. The extent of PAFP provision is variable and limited. However, service providers expressed willingness and enthusiasm towards providing PAFP services in the future. Three main considerations were expressed regarding the feasibility of developing and implementing PAFP services: policy support, human resources, and financial resources. The study indicated that key service stakeholders show demand for and perceive considerable opportunities to develop PAFP in China. However, changes are needed to enable the systematic development of high quality PAFP, including actively targeting young and unmarried people in service provision, obtaining policy support and increasing the investment of human and financial resources.

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.

Using Behavioral Science to Design a Peer Comparison Intervention for Postabortion Family Planning in Nepal.

Despite the provision of free and subsidized family planning services and clients’ demonstrated intentions to delay pregnancies, family planning uptake among women who receive abortion and postabortion services at Sunaulo Parivar Nepal (SPN), one of Nepal’s largest non-governmental sexual and reproductive health (SRH) providers, remains low. Through meetings, interviews, and observations with SPN’s stakeholders, service providers, and clients at its 36 SRH centers, we developed hypotheses about client- and provider-side barriers that may inhibit postabortion family planning (PAFP) uptake. On the provider side, we found that the lack of benchmarks (such as the performance of other facilities) against which providers could compare their own performance and the lack of feedback on the performance were important barriers to PAFP uptake. We designed several variants of three interventions to address these barriers. Through conversations with team members at SPN’s centralized support office and service providers at SPN centers, we prioritized a peer-comparison tool that allows providers at one center to compare their performance with that of other similar centers. We used feedback from the community of providers on the tools’ usability and features to select a variant of the tool that also leverages and reinforces providers’ strong intrinsic motivation to provide quality PAFP services. In this paper, we detail the process of identifying barriers and creating an intervention to overcome those barriers. The intervention’s effectiveness will be tested with a center-level, stepped-wedge randomized control trial in which SPN’s 36 centers will be randomly assigned to receive the intervention at 1-month intervals over a 6-month period. Existing medical record data will be used to monitor family planning uptake.

Systematic review of experiences and effects of integrating post-abortion family planning services into existing health system worldwide

Objective To systematic review and analyze the practices and effects of integrating post-abortion family planning (PAFP) services into existing health system worldwide in order to inform the future interventions to deliver PAFP in China. Methods A systematic search for relevant published and unpublished literature was conducted. Based on a set of criteria, citation and full text were screened, related data were extracted. Findings of included studies were reviewed and analyzed using a textual narrative approach to synthesis. Results A total of 28 studies were included in the synthesis. The studies were published between 1995 and 2008 and covered 20 countries. Some countries were in the stage of piloting post-abortion care (PAC)/PAFP intervention, while others were either from piloting to scaling up or examined how well a pilot PAC/PAFP intervention and resulting improvements were able to be maintained over the long term in the same intervention site. Most studies examined initiatives that were implemented at public sectors from tertiary, secondary to primary health facilities, while a few were implemented at private sectors. Efforts of integrating PAFP into existing health system from health system perspectives such as funding the programs, training of trainer (TOT) training or on the job training of physicians and mid-level service provider, expansion the range of contraceptive methods available including a few free distribution of contraceptives, improving data collection including cost analysis in a few countries, service guidelines provided to health professionals, supportive supervision at program sites to ensure quality of care, and leadership from government to strengthen PAC/PAFP service by revising or developing a new national policy. Effects of those intervention programs included that 2 studies decreased abortion rates, 7 studies improved modern contraceptive use, 1 study improved women's knowledge on sexual & reproductive health, and 5 studies reported women's high satisfaction rate with receiving PAC/PAFP services. Conclusion Each study was conducted within a cultural, legal, social, and religious framework. There might be no single set of best practices that can be put forward as a model to integrate PAFP into existing health system in China. These areas should be taken into account in our future intervention including government's optimization and complement to the regulations related to abortion, contraception and PAFP, capacity building for service provider, continuous efforts to improve the quality of PAFP service, and accessibility of multiple contraceptive methods for married as well as unmarried youth.

Impact of post-abortion family planning services on contraceptive use and abortion rate among young women in China: a cluster randomised trial

Objectives To compare two post-abortion family planning (FP) service packages on contraceptive use and repeat abortion rate among young women in three cities in China.Methods In this cluster-randomized trial, one FP service package included provision of limited information and referral to existing FP services, and the other, more comprehensive, package consisted – in addition to the above simple package – of individual counselling, free provision of contraceptive materials, and involvement of the male partner. Eight matched pairs of hospitals were certified by centralized randomization. Women undergoing abortion were followed up for six months, and data were collected in two rounds, before and after the intervention.Results We followed a total of 2336 women younger than 25 years (555 before and 555 after the simple intervention package; 634 before and 592 after the comprehensive intervention package). Both packages increased use of any contraceptive method, but the comprehensive approach also increased use of more effective methods. Odds ratios for consistent and correct use of condoms were 2.32 (95% confidence interval 1.55–3.46) and 2.78 (1.81–4.26), respectively, compared with the simple package. The rates of unwanted pregnancies and repeat abortions were somewhat reduced for both packages, with no significant statistical difference between them.Conclusion Couples who received the comprehensive post-abortion FP service appear to use more effective contraceptive methods and show better compliance.