Open AccessCreating linkages between incomplete abortion treatment and family planning services in Kenya: What works best?
Author(s) -
J Solo,
Achola Ominde,
Margaret Makumi,
Deborah L. Billings,
Colette AlooObunga
Publication year - 1998
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Reports
DOI - 10.31899/rh1998.1018
Subject(s) - family planning , vacuum aspiration , abortion , dilation and curettage , unsafe abortion , medicine , population , reproductive health , safer , medical emergency , developing country , kenya , nursing , business , economic growth , pregnancy , environmental health , political science , research methodology , computer security , biology , computer science , economics , genetics , law
Unsafe abortion constitutes a major public health problem throughout the world, leading to high levels of maternal morbidity and mortality. Abortion accounts for roughly one-third of maternal mortality in the world. Millions of other women experience short- and long-term morbidity, such as infertility and pain. The concept of postabortion care (PAC) has gained wide acceptance as a means to improve services provided to women with complications from spontaneous or unsafely induced abortions. One way to improve emergency treatment is through introducing manual vacuum aspiration (MVA), which has been shown to be safer and less costly than dilation and curettage (D&C). Providing the second element, postabortion family planning, will enable women to avoid unwanted pregnancies and unsafe abortions. A study to test different ways of providing improved PAC services has been conducted by the Population Council’s Africa Operations Research and Technical Assistance Project II in collaboration with the Kenyan Ministry of Health and Ipas. As stated in this report, the study focused primarily on the first two components of PAC: improving emergency treatment through introducing or upgrading MVA services and comparing three models of postabortion family planning provision.