"Who Wants to Go Repeatedly to the Hospital?" Perceptions and Experiences of Simplified Medical Abortion in Rajasthan, India. (19th December 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Iyengar, Kirti; Klingberg Allvin, Marie; Iyengar, Sharad D.; Danielsson, Kristina Gemzell; Essén, Birgitta
• Is Part Of: Global qualitative nursing research. Volume 3(2016)
• Publication Date: 2016-12-19
• Subjects: self-care -- abortion -- reproduction -- primary -- health care -- remote -- rural -- health care -- access to -- health care -- India -- low resource setting; Nursing -- Research -- Periodicals; Qualitative research -- Periodicals; Nursing Research; Qualitative Research; Nursing -- Research; Qualitative research; Periodicals; Periodicals; 610.73
• DOI: 10.1177/2333393616683073
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2333-3936

Abstract

The aim of this study is to explore women's experiences and perceptions of home use of misoprostol and of the self-assessment of the outcome of early medical abortion in a low-resource setting in India. In-depth interviews were conducted with 20 women seeking early medical abortion, who administered misoprostol at home and assessed their own outcome of abortion using a low-sensitivity pregnancy test. With home use of misoprostol, women were able to avoid inconvenience of travel, child care, and housework, and maintain confidentiality. The use of a low-sensitivity pregnancy test alleviated women's anxieties about retained products. Majority said they would prefer medical abortion involving a single visit in future. This study provides nuanced understanding of how women manage a simplified medical abortion in the context of low literacy and limited communication facilities. Service delivery guidelines should be revised to allow women to have medical abortion with fewer visits.