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How do women seeking abortion choose between surgical and medical abortion? Perspectives from abortion service providers
Author(s) -
Newton Danielle,
Bayly Chris,
McNamee Kathleen,
Hardiman Annarella,
Bismark Marie,
Webster Amy,
Keogh Louise
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
australian and new zealand journal of obstetrics and gynaecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.734
H-Index - 65
eISSN - 1479-828X
pISSN - 0004-8666
DOI - 10.1111/ajo.12506
Subject(s) - abortion , medicine , medical abortion , service provider , family medicine , service (business) , family planning , nursing , gynecology , pregnancy , population , misoprostol , environmental health , research methodology , genetics , economy , economics , biology
Background Depending on availability, many Australian women seeking an abortion will be faced with the choice between surgical or medical abortion. Little is known about the factors that influence Australian women's choice of method. Aim Through the perspectives of abortion service providers, this study aimed to explore the factors that contribute to Australian women's decision to have a surgical or medical abortion. Materials and Methods In 2015, in‐depth interviews were conducted with fifteen Victorian‐based key informants (KIs) directly providing or working within a service offering medical abortion. Ten KIs were working at a service that also provided surgical abortion. Interviews were semi‐structured, conducted face‐to‐face or over the telephone, transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically. Results KIs described varying levels of awareness of medical abortion, with poorer awareness in regional areas. When it comes to accessing information, women were informed by: their own research (often online); their own experiences and the experiences of others; and advice from health professionals. Women's reasons for choosing surgical or medical abortion range from the pragmatic (timing and location of the method, support at home) to the subjective (perceived risk, emotional impact, privacy, control, and physical ability). Conclusions Women benefit from an alternative to surgical abortion and are well‐placed to choose between the two methods, however, challenges remain to ensure that all women are enabled to make an informed choice. KIs identify the need to: promote the availability of medical abortion; address misconceptions about this method; and increase general practitioner involvement in the provision of medical abortion.