This study evaluates the implementation of misoprostol for postabortion care (MPAC) in two African countries, Kenya and Uganda. The Ministries of Health, local health centers and hospitals, and NGO staff developed evidence-based service delivery protocols to introduce MPAC in selected facilities; implementation extended from January 2009 to October 2010. RESULTS: In both countries, MPAC was easy to use, and freed up provider time and health facility resources traditionally necessary for provision of PAC with uterine aspiration. On-going support of providers following training ensured high quality of care. Providers perceived that many women preferred MPAC, as they avoided instrumentation of the uterus, hospital admission, cost, and stigma associated with abortion.
Sex workers’ need for safe abortion services in Uganda is greater than that of the population of women of reproductive age because of their number of sexual contacts, the inconsistent use of contraception and their increased risk of forced sex, rape or other forms of physical and sexual violence. This study sought to understand sex workers’ experiences with induced abortion services or postabortion care (PAC) at an urban clinic in Uganda. Nine in-depth interviews were conducted with sex workers. Several important programmatic considerations for safe abortion services for sex workers were identified. Most important is creating community-level interventions in which women can speak openly about abortion, creating a support network among sex workers, training peer educators, and making available a community outreach educator and community outreach workshops on abortion.
Ipas author response to VSI’s letter to the editor,Osur et al.’s Implementation of misoprostol for postabortion care in Kenya and Uganda: A qualitative evaluation
This brief examines the key results from expanding abortion service provision to midlevel providers in 10 Ipas country programs throughout Asia and Africa, including a global analysis of programmatic data from all 10 countries and two case studies (Ethiopia and Bangladesh).
