Access, Service Capacity, and Quality :
Strengthening Postabortion Care :

Journal Articles

Community Mobilization and Service Strengthening to Increase Awareness and Use of Postabortion Care and Family Planning in Kenya
A community engagement and service-strengthening intervention was introduced in Kenya to raise awareness of family planning and the risk of bleeding early in pregnancy bleeding and to increase use of both family planning and postabortion care (PAC) services. The intervention was carried out in three communities in Kenya over 18 months; three additional communities served as the comparison group. A quasi-experimental evaluation showed that awareness of family planning increased in the intervention group. Recognition of early bleeding during pregnancy rose slightly, as did care-seeking for this problem. The intervention appeared to raise awareness of family planning and of bleeding in early pregnancy, but not necessarily the use of related services. International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Volume 126, Issue 1, July 2014, pages 8–13.
Available online in English

Postabortion Family Planning: Addressing the Cycle of Repeat Unintended Pregnancy and Abortion
Postabortion family planning has always been a key element of postabortion care (PAC) services and provides a powerful rationale for PAC services. In practice, however, PAC care usually focuses on treatment of complications, and family planning is often neglected. It is essential to restore the family planning component to PAC services, not only to prevent repeat unintended pregnancy and abortion, but also because it is integral to achieving the critical health objectives—reducing maternal morbidity and mortality, mother-to-child transmission of HIV, and new HIV infections. Women and communities should demand quality PAC services that provide them with accessible, cost-effective postabortion family planning care that will help them avoid unplanned pregnancy and repeat abortion, avoid HIV infection, improve the health of a woman's next child, and ultimately enhance the health of her family. International Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, Volume 36, Number 1, March 2010, pages 44-48.
Available online in English

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