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Health consequences of unsafe abortion in Colombia, 1989–2008
Author(s) -
Prada Elena,
Singh Susheela,
Villarreal Cristina
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/s0020-7292(12)60006-x
Subject(s) - medicine , misoprostol , abortion , unsafe abortion , obstetrics , family planning , health care , family medicine , gynecology , pregnancy , population , environmental health , research methodology , economic growth , genetics , economics , biology
The number of Colombian women hospitalized for the treatment of induced abortion complications increased from 57 679 in 1989 to 93 336 in 2008; the hospitalization rate also rose: from 7.2 to 9.1 cases per 1000 women aged 15–44 years. Factors that likely underlie the increase include improved access to postabortion care (although 1 in 5 women still do not obtain the care they need) and the growing role of misoprostol, often used incorrectly and to some extent replacing the use of surgical abortion by doctors. Efforts are evidently needed to improve access to safe abortion and effective contraception.