Development and validation of a perceived abortion self-efficacy scale: results from Bolivia, Nepal and Nigeria.

The objective of this research was to develop and assess the validity of a scale to measure perceived abortion self-efficacy (PASE). Perceived abortion self-efficacy is defined as an individual's perceived confidence in their ability to carry out the tasks necessary to end a pregnancy safely and successfully. During the first phase of this study between February and April 2018, we conducted qualitative research using in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with women in Bolivia, Nepal, and Nigeria to explore domains of PASE.

Drug sellers' knowledge and practices, and client perspectives after an intervention to improve the quality of safe abortion care outside of formal clinics in Nigeria.

Background: In Nigeria, where abortion is legally restricted, individuals seek medication abortion drugs, including misoprostol, directly from pharmacies or drug sellers. However, knowledge of drug sellers or patent medicine vendors (PMVs) dispensation practices and women's experience with self-management is limited and research suggests poor quality of services. This study assesses the knowledge and practices of PMVs and women's experiences after a harm reduction intervention to improve the provision of medication abortion using misoprostol.

Determining the accuracy of pregnancy-length dating among women presenting for induced abortions in Ghana.

Objective: To determine the proportion of women presenting for an induced abortion in Ghana who could use a gestational wheel to determine if they had reached at least 13 weeks or fewer than 13 weeks of pregnancy accurately.

Methods: The present cross-sectional study was conducted at four facilities in Ghana between February 1, and July 31, 2014. Women aged at least 18 years seeking induced abortions who had not previously been informed of the length of their pregnancy by a clinician were enrolled.

Developing a scale to measure stigmatizing attitudes and beliefs about women who have abortions: results from Ghana and Zambia.

The objective of this research was to explore the context of abortion stigma in Ghana and Zambia through qualitative research, and develop a quantitative instrument to measure stigmatizing attitudes and beliefs about abortion. Ultimately, we aimed to develop a scale to measure abortion stigma at the individual and community level that can also be used in the evaluation of stigma reduction interventions. Focus group discussions were conducted in both countries to provide information around attitudes and beliefs about abortion.

Abortion services for sex workers in Uganda: successful strategies in an urban clinic.

Sex workers' need for safe abortion services in Uganda is greater than that of the population of women of reproductive age because of their number of sexual contacts, the inconsistent use of contraception and their increased risk of forced sex, rape or other forms of physical and sexual violence. We sought to understand sex workers' experiences with induced abortion services or post-abortion care (PAC) at an urban clinic in Uganda. We conducted nine in-depth interviews with sex workers.

Correlates of perceived and internalized stigma among abortion patients in the USA: an exploration by race and Hispanic ethnicity.

This study estimated the proportion of abortion patients in the USA reporting perceived and internalized stigma, and assessed associations between those outcomes and women's sociodemographic, reproductive, and situational characteristics by race/ethnicity from a nationally representative dataset. Two-thirds of women reported that some people would look down on them if they knew about the abortion, and more than half of the respondents reported needing to keep their abortion a secret from friends and family. Associations between women's characteristics and abortion stigma varied by race/ethnicity.

Managing unplanned pregnancies in five countries: perspectives on contraception and abortion decisions.

Why is induced abortion common in environments in which modern contraception is readily available? This study analyses qualitative data collected from focus group discussions and in-depth interviews with women and men from low-income areas in five countries--the United States, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru and Mexico--to better understand how couples manage their pregnancy risk. Across all settings, women and men rarely weigh the advantages and disadvantages of contraception and abortion before beginning a sexual relationship or engaging in sexual intercourse. Contraception is viewed independently of abortion, and the two are linked only when the former is invoked as a preferred means to avoiding repeat abortion.

Social stigma and disclosure about induced abortion: results from an exploratory study.

It is well recognised that unsafe abortions have significant implications for women's physical health; however, women's perceptions and experiences with abortion-related stigma and disclosure about abortion are not well understood. This paper examines the presence and intensity of abortion stigma in five countries, and seeks to understand how stigma is perceived and experienced by women who terminate an unintended pregnancy and influences her subsequent disclosure behaviours. The paper is based upon focus groups and semi-structured in-depth interviews conducted with women and men in Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru and the United States (USA) in 2006.