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Perspectives of Chinese healthcare providers on medical abortion
Author(s) -
Gan Kang,
Zhang Yuhan,
Jiang Xiaomei,
Meng Yucui,
Hou Liyan,
Cheng Yimin
Publication year - 2011
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 - 10.1016/j.ijgo.2011.01.027
Subject(s) - abortion , medical abortion , service provider , medicine , family medicine , family planning , remuneration , medical emergency , service (business) , business , pregnancy , misoprostol , environmental health , research methodology , population , genetics , finance , marketing , biology
Objective To evaluate Chinese healthcare providers’ knowledge regarding medical abortion, to understand provider preferences for abortion methods, and to investigate the role of remuneration on providers’ decision making. Methods Between November 2009 and May 2010, 658 abortion service providers from family‐planning service centers and hospitals in Shenzhen and Henan, China, were surveyed via self‐administered questionnaires. Results The knowledge score (out of a maximum of 32) regarding medical abortion was 16–20 for 60.9% of the providers; 20.4% of the providers preferred medical abortion to surgical abortion, whereas 35.0% preferred surgical abortion. Overall, 72.2% of providers stated that they did not receive any commission for providing medical abortion or surgical abortion. Conclusion Most healthcare providers believed that surgical abortion was preferable to medical abortion. Efforts should be made to overcome the perceived disadvantages of medical abortion.