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Determining the accuracy of pregnancy‐length dating among women presenting for induced abortions in Ghana
Author(s) -
Shellenberg Kristen M.,
Antobam Samuel K.,
Griffin Risa,
Edelman Alison,
Voetagbe Gertrude
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
international journal of gynecology and obstetrics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.895
H-Index - 97
eISSN - 1879-3479
pISSN - 0020-7292
DOI - 10.1002/ijgo.12235
Subject(s) - medicine , pregnancy , abortion , obstetrics , gestational age , gestation , medical abortion , cross sectional study , gynecology , misoprostol , genetics , biology , pathology
Objective To determine the proportion of women presenting for an induced abortion in Ghana who could use a gestational wheel to determine if they had reached at least 13 weeks or fewer than 13 weeks of pregnancy accurately. Methods The present cross‐sectional study was conducted at four facilities in Ghana between February 1, and July 31, 2014. Women aged at least 18 years seeking induced abortions who had not previously been informed of the length of their pregnancy by a clinician were enrolled. Women self‐assessed pregnancy duration using a gestational wheel before a clinician assessed the length via clinical assessment and bimanual exam for use as a respective reference point. The proportion of participants who used the wheel successfully was calculated. Results The study enrolled 780 participants, 770 of whom used the gestational wheel. Of these, 221 (28.7%) could use the wheel without verbal instructions, and 465 (60.4%) described it as easy to use. Agreement in pregnancy‐length assessments was recorded for 728 (94.5%) patients. There were 10 (1.3%) and 28 (3.6%) participants who made evaluations with “low‐risk disagreement” and “high‐risk disagreement” with the clinician assessment, respectively. Conclusion Almost all participants could use the gestational wheel to date their pregnancies correctly. This tool could help women perform medical abortions safely in the community, reducing morbidity and mortality from unsafe abortions.