Work

Medical abortion practices among private providers in Vietnam

Year: 2013

Type: article

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To describe medical abortion (MA) practices among private providers in Vietnam. METHODS: The study subjects were women (n = 258) undergoing early MA through 12 private providers in Hanoi during February-June 2012. The women were interviewed on the day of their procedure and were followed up by telephone 14 days after mifepristone administration. RESULTS: Of the 258 women in the study, 97% used a regimen of mifepristone plus misoprostol; 80% were instructed to administer misoprostol at home. MA resulted in a complete termination in 90.8% of cases. All women were provided with information on potential complications and were instructed to return for a follow-up visit. We successfully followed up 77.5% (n = 200) of participants by telephone, while nearly two-thirds of women returned to the clinic for a follow-up visit. At follow-up, 39.5% of women reported having used a Help line service, while 7% had sought help from a health provider. A high unmet need for postabortion family planning was identified. CONCLUSION: Follow-up of women, postabortion care, and the provision of family planning have been identified as important areas to address for strengthening MA services in the private sector in Vietnam.

Source: International Journal of Women s Health

DOI: 10.2147/ijwh.s51137

Authors: Thoai Ngo, Min Hae Park, Thang H Nguyen, Anh T N Dang

Institution: Marie Stopes International

Language: English

Topic: Reproductive Health and Contraception

Subfield: Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDGs: Good health and well-being, Gender equality

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,836