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Clinic‐level introduction of medical abortion in Vietnam
Author(s) -
Raghavan Sheila,
Ngoc Nguyen thi Nhu,
Shochet Tara,
Winikoff Beverly
Publication year - 2012
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.2012.05.022
Subject(s) - medicine , misoprostol , medical abortion , abortion , family medicine , family planning , patient satisfaction , medical emergency , nursing , pregnancy , population , environmental health , research methodology , genetics , biology
Objective To assess the efficacy of medical abortion and patient satisfaction in the clinic setting, in addition to determining healthcare providers’ views. Methods From 2006 to 2008, 2400 women were enrolled at 10 Vietnam Family Planning Association (VINAFPA) clinics in an operations research project. Participants took 200 mg of oral mifepristone in the clinic and 400 μg of oral misoprostol 2 days later at home or in the clinic. Abortion status was assessed at follow‐up. Furthermore, in 2006, 900 clinicians at 45 health facilities answered a knowledge, attitudes, and practices survey to capture providers' views. Results In total, 93.8% of participants had successful medical abortions. The majority (84.5%) administered misoprostol at home. Adverse effects included bleeding, pain/cramps, and nausea. Most women (92.6%) were satisfied/very satisfied with the method. Most providers who took the survey (85.6%) recommended that medical abortion be introduced at VINAFPA clinics. Conclusion The operations research data demonstrate the safety, efficacy, and acceptability of medical abortion at VINAFPA clinics. The majority of surveyed providers endorsed adding medical abortion at their own facilities. Developing national guidelines for providing medical abortion at the clinic level is an important step in expanding access to services in Vietnam.