It is of great importance for repeat unwanted pregnancies to be prevented rather than aborted. We, therefore, sought to: determine the reasons for contraceptive failure in women seeking repeat abortions, audit the peri-abortion contraception services offered at our hospital, and make recommendations regarding peri-abortion contraception services based on the above findings.
The data collection method was a self-administered questionnaire to determine the contraceptive practices and details of peri-abortion contraceptive counseling received by 50 women undergoing a repeat and 83 women undergoing a first-time abortion.
Ninety-eight percent of women undergoing a repeat abortion reported using contraception at the time of conception, compared to 83% of women undergoing the first-time abortion. This difference was significant. Follow-up contraceptive appointments were made in less than half of women. Although most women chose an optimal contraceptive method due to the counseling, compliance with the selected mode in women undergoing repeat abortions was poor.
The study concluded that the audit standards were met concerning receipt of contraceptive counseling and agreeing with a contraceptive method before discharge. The content of this counseling needs to be improved. The ineffectiveness of the OCP and barrier methods of contraception need to be highlighted during counseling. Adequate follow-up arrangements need to be provided to ensure compliance with the chosen method of contraception.
Reference: https://srh.bmj.com/content/27/2/77
