| 1. |
- Hogmark, Sara, et al.
(författare)
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Medical students' knowledge, attitudes and perceptions towards contraceptive use and counselling : a cross-sectional survey in Maharashtra, India.
- 2013
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Ingår i: BMJ Open. - : BMJ. - 2044-6055. ; 3:12, s. e003739-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the knowledge, attitudes and perceptions towards contraceptive use and counselling among medical students in Maharashtra, India.SETTING: Considerable global maternal mortality and morbidity could be avoided through the use of effective contraception. In India, contraception services are frequently unavailable or there are obstacles to obtaining modern, reversible contraceptives.PARTICIPANTS: A cross-sectional descriptive study using a self-administered questionnaire was conducted among 1996 medical students in their fifth year of study at 27 medical colleges in the state of Maharashtra, India. Descriptive and analytical statistics interpreted the survey instrument and significant results were presented with 95% CI.RESULTS: Respondents expressed a desire to provide contraceptive services. A few students had experienced training in abortion care. There were misconceptions about modern contraceptive methods and the impact of sex education. Attitudes towards contraception were mainly positive, premarital counselling was supported and the influence of traditional values and negative provider attitudes on services was recognised. Gender, area of upbringing and type of medical college did not change the results.CONCLUSIONS: Despite mostly positive attitudes towards modern contraceptives, sex education and family planning counselling, medical students in Maharashtra have misconceptions about modern methods of contraception. Preservice and in-service training in contraceptive counselling should be implemented in order to increase women's access to evidence-based maternal healthcare services.
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| 2. |
- Iyengar, Kirti, et al.
(författare)
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Home use of misoprostol for early medical abortion in a low resource setting : secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial
- 2016
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Ingår i: Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica. - : Wiley. - 0001-6349 .- 1600-0412. ; 95:2, s. 173-181
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- INTRODUCTION: Although home use of misoprostol for early medical abortion is considered to be safe, effective and feasible, it has not become standard service delivery practice. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy, safety, and acceptability of home use of misoprostol as compared to clinic misoprostol in a low-resource setting.MATERIAL AND METHODS: This was a secondary analysis of a randomised controlled trial conducted in 6 primary care clinics in India. Women seeking medical abortion up to 9 gestational weeks (n= 731) received mifepristone in the clinic, and were allocated either to home or clinic administration of misoprostol. Follow-up contact was after 10-15 days.RESULTS: Of 731 participants, 73% were rural and 55% had no formal education. Complete abortion rates in the home and clinic misoprostol groups were 94.2% and 94.4% respectively. The rate of adverse events was similar in both groups (0.3%). A greater proportion of home users (90.2%) said that they would opt for misoprostol at home in the event of a future abortion, than the proportion of clinic users (79.7%) that would opt for misoprostol at the clinic, in a similar situation (p=0.0002). Ninety six percent women using misoprostol at home or in the clinic were satisfied with their abortion experience.CONCLUSIONS: Home-use of misoprostol for early medical abortion is as effective and acceptable as clinic use, in low resource settings. Women should be offered a choice of this option regardless of distance of their residence from the clinic and communication facilities.
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| 3. |
- Iyengar, Kirti, et al.
(författare)
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"Who Wants to Go Repeatedly to the Hospital?" : Perceptions and Experiences of Simplified Medical Abortion in Rajasthan, India
- 2016
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Ingår i: Global qualitative nursing research. - : SAGE PUBLICATIONS INC. - 2333-3936. ; 3
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The aim of this study is to explore women's experiences and perceptions of home use of misoprostol and of the self-assessment of the outcome of early medical abortion in a low-resource setting in India. In-depth interviews were conducted with 20 women seeking early medical abortion, who administered misoprostol at home and assessed their own outcome of abortion using a low-sensitivity pregnancy test. With home use of misoprostol, women were able to avoid inconvenience of travel, child care, and housework, and maintain confidentiality. The use of a low-sensitivity pregnancy test alleviated women's anxieties about retained products. Majority said they would prefer medical abortion involving a single visit in future. This study provides nuanced understanding of how women manage a simplified medical abortion in the context of low literacy and limited communication facilities. Service delivery guidelines should be revised to allow women to have medical abortion with fewer visits.
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| 4. |
- Paul, Mandira, 1985-, et al.
(författare)
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Does mode of follow-up influence contraceptive use after medical abortion in a low-resource setting? Secondary outcome analysis of a non-inferiority randomized controlled trial
- 2016
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Ingår i: BMC Public Health. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1471-2458. ; 16:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Post-abortion contraceptive use in India is low and the use of modern methods of contraception is rare, especially in rural areas. This study primarily compares contraceptive use among women whose abortion outcome was assessed in-clinic with women who assessed their abortion outcome at home, in a low-resource, primary health care setting. Moreover, it investigates how background characteristics and abortion service provision influences contraceptive use post-abortion.METHODS: A randomized controlled, non-inferiority, trial (RCT) compared clinic follow-up with home-assessment of abortion outcome at 2 weeks post-abortion. Additionally, contraceptive-use at 3 months post-abortion was investigated through a cross-sectional follow-up interview with a largely urban sub-sample of women from the RCT. Women seeking abortion with a gestational age of up to 9 weeks and who agreed to a 2-week follow-up were included (n = 731). Women with known contraindications to medical abortions, Hb < 85 mg/l and aged below 18 were excluded. Data were collected between April 2013 and August 2014 in six primary health-care clinics in Rajasthan. A computerised random number generator created the randomisation sequence (1:1) in blocks of six. Contraceptive use was measured at 2 weeks among women successfully followed-up (n = 623) and 3 months in the sub-set of women who were included if they were recruited at one of the urban study sites, owned a phone and agreed to a 3-month follow-up (n = 114).RESULTS: There were no differences between contraceptive use and continuation between study groups at 3 months (76 % clinic follow-up, 77 % home-assessment), however women in the clinic follow-up group were most likely to adopt a contraceptive method at 2 weeks (62 ± 12 %), while women in the home-assessment group were most likely to adopt a method after next menstruation (60 ± 13 %). Fifty-two per cent of women who initiated a method at 2 weeks chose the 3-month injection or the copper intrauterine device. Only 4 % of women preferred sterilization. Caste, educational attainment, or type of residence did not influence contraceptive use.CONCLUSIONS: Simplified follow-up after early medical abortion will not change women's opportunities to access contraception in a low-resource setting, if contraceptive services are provided as intra-abortion services as early as on day one. Women's postabortion contraceptive use at 3 months is unlikely to be affected by mode of followup after medical abortion, also in a low-resource setting. Clinical guidelines need to encourage intra-abortion contraception, offering the full spectrum of evidence-based methods, especially long-acting reversible methods.TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov NCT01827995.
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| 5. |
- Paul, Mandira, 1985-, et al.
(författare)
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Simplified follow-up after medical abortion using a low-sensitivity urinary pregnancy test and a pictorial instruction sheet in Rajasthan, India : study protocol and intervention adaptation of a randomised control trial
- 2014
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Ingår i: BMC Women's Health. - : BioMed Central. - 1472-6874. ; 14
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The World Health Organisation suggests that simplification of the medical abortion regime will contribute to an increased acceptability of medical abortion, among women as well as providers. It is expected that a home-based follow-up after a medical abortion will increase the willingness to opt for medical abortion as well as decrease the workload and service costs in the clinic.Trial designThe study is a randomised, controlled, non-superiority trial .MethodsWomen screened to participate in the study are those with unwanted pregnancies and gestational ages equal to or less than nine weeks. Eligible women randomised to the home-based assessment group will use a low-sensitivity pregnancy test and a pictorial instruction sheet at home, while the women in the clinic follow-up group will return to the clinic for routine follow-up carried out by a doctor. The primary objective of the study is to evaluate the effectiveness of home-based assessment using a low-sensitivity pregnancy test and a pictorial instruction sheet 10-14 days after an early medical abortion. Providers or research assistants will not be blinded during outcome assessment. To ensure feasibility of the self-assessment intervention an adaption phase took place at the selected study sites before study initiation. This was to optimise and tailor-make the intervention and the study procedures and resulted in the development of the pictorial instruction sheet for how to use the low-sensitivity pregnancy test and the danger signs after a medical abortion. DiscussionIn this paper, we will describe the study protocol for a randomised control trial investigating the efficacy of simplified follow-up in terms of home-based assessment, 10-14 days after a medical abortion. Moreover, a description of the adaptation phase is included for a better understanding of the implementation of the intervention in a setting where literacy is low and the road-connections are poor. Trial registration: Clinicaltrials.gov NCT01827995. Registered 04 May 2013
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| 6. |
- Paul, Mandira, 1985-, et al.
(författare)
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The importance of considering the evidence in the MTP 2014 Amendment debate in India - unsubstantiated arguments should not impede improved access to safe abortion
- 2015
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Ingår i: Global Health Action. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1654-9716 .- 1654-9880. ; 8, s. 1-4
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- With the objective to improve access to safe abortion services in India, the Ministry of Health and Welfare, with approval of the Law Ministry, published draft amendments of the MTP Act on October 29, 2014. Instead of the expected support, the amendments created a heated debate within professional medical associations of India. In this commentary, we review the evidence in response to the current discourse with regard to the amendments. It would be unfortunate if unsubstantiated one-sided arguments would impede the intention of improving access to safe abortion care in India.
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| 7. |
- Sjöström, Susanne, et al.
(författare)
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Medical students are afraid to include abortion in their future practices : in-depth interviews in Maharastra, India
- 2016
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Ingår i: BMC Medical Education. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1472-6920. ; 16
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Unsafe abortions are estimated to cause eight per-cent of maternal mortality in India. Lack of providers, especially in rural areas, is one reason unsafe abortions take place despite decades of legal abortion. Education and training in reproductive health services has been shown to influence attitudes and increase chances that medical students will provide abortion care services in their future practice. To further explore previous findings about poor attitudes toward abortion among medical students in Maharastra, India, we conducted in-depth interviews with medical students in their final year of education.METHOD: We used a qualitative design conducting in-depth interviews with twenty-three medical students in Maharastra applying a topic guide. Data was organized using thematic analysis with an inductive approach.RESULTS: The participants described a fear to provide abortion in their future practice. They lacked understanding of the law and confused the legal regulation of abortion with the law governing gender biased sex selection, and concluded that abortion is illegal in Maharastra. The interviewed medical students' attitudes were supported by their experiences and perceptions from the clinical setting as well as traditions and norms in society. Medical abortion using mifepristone and misoprostol was believed to be unsafe and prohibited in Maharastra. The students perceived that nurse-midwives were knowledgeable in Sexual and Reproductive Health and many found that they could be trained to perform abortions in the future.CONCLUSIONS: To increase chances that medical students in Maharastra will perform abortion care services in their future practice, it is important to strengthen their confidence and knowledge through improved medical education including value clarification and clinical training.
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| 8. |
- Sjöström, Susanne, 1967-, et al.
(författare)
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Medical students' attitudes and perceptions on abortion : a cross-sectional survey among medical interns in Maharastra, India
- 2014
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Ingår i: Contraception. - : Elsevier BV. - 0010-7824 .- 1879-0518. ; 90:1, s. 42-46
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Introduction: Although abortion care has been an established routine since decades in India, 8% of maternal mortality is attributed to unsafe abortion. Increased knowledge and improved attitudes among health care providers have a potential to reduce barriers to safe abortion care by reducing stigma and reluctance to provide abortion. Previous research has shown that medical students' attitudes can predict whether they will perform abortions. The objective of our study was to explore attitudes toward abortion among medical interns in Maharastra, India. Study Design: A cross-sectional survey was carried out among 1996 medical interns in Maharastra, India. Descriptive and analytical statistics were used to interpret the study instrument. Results: Almost one quarter of the respondents considered abortion to be morally wrong, one fifth did not fund abortions for unmarried women acceptable and one quarter falsely believed that a woman needs her partner or spouse's approval to have an abortion. Most participants agreed that unsafe abortion is a serious health problem in India. A majority of the respondents rated their knowledge of sexual and reproductive health as good, but only 13% had any clinical practice in abortion care services. Conclusion: Disallowing attitudes toward abortion and misconceptions about the legal regulations were common among the surveyed medical students. Knowledge and attitudes toward abortion among future physicians could be improved by amendments to the medical education, potentially increasing the number of future providers delivering safe and legal abortion services. Implication Paragraph: Abortion is legal in India since decades, but maternal mortality due to unsafe abortions remains high. This survey of attitudes toward abortion among medical interns in Maharastra indicates that disallowing views prevail. Improved knowledge and clinical training can increase numbers of potential abortion providers, thus limit unsafe abortion.
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