Post-abortion contraception: care and practices

OBJECTIVE: to analyze assistance regarding contraception methods received by women during hospitalization due to abortion, and contraceptive practices the month after this episode.METHODS: a longitudinal study of women hospitalized due to abortion in a public hospital in the city of São Paulo. Face-to-face interviews (n=170) followed by telephone interviews in the subsequent month (n=147) were conducted between May and December of 2011.RESULTS: a small number of women reported they received guidance on, and prescription for, contraceptive methods at hospital discharge. A trend of statistical significance was identified for prescription of contraceptive methods at discharge and its use in the following month, when adjusted for age. Most women reported sexual intercourse (69.4%) with the use of contraceptive method (82.4%), but no health professional guidance (63.1%).CONCLUSION: despite the fact that post-abortion contraception assistance was lower than the recommended guidelines by public health policies, women demonstrated willingness to use contraceptive methods

Reasons and meanings attributed by women who experienced induced abortion: an integrative review

OBJECTIVE Identifying the contribution of developed research on what motivates women to induce an abortion and the meaning attributed to these experiences in their lives. METHOD An integrative review conducted in MEDLINE/PubMed, LILACS, BDENF, CINAHL and SciELO databases, covering the periods from 2001 to 2011. RESULTS We selected and analyzed 11 studies with selection criteria being reasons given by women for inducing abortion and/or the meaning attributed to this experience in their lives, including social, religious, ethical and moral aspects related to this practice, as well as the suffering experienced from the experience. The illegality of abortion is identified as a risk factor for unsafe abortions, reaffirming this issue as a public health and social justice problem. CONCLUSION Results evidence aspects that can contribute to improving health quality and ratify the importance of research to support nursing practices

Women’s existential experiences within Swedish abortion care

Objective: To explore Swedish women’s experiences of clinical abortion care in relation to their need for existential support. Methods: Individual in-depth interviews with 24 women with previous experience of unwanted pregnancy and abortion. Participants were recruited between 2006 and 2009. Interviews were analysed by latent content analysis. Findings: Although the women had similar experiences of the abortion care offered, the needs they expressed differed. Swedish abortion care was described as rational and neutral, with physical issues dominating over existential ones. For some women, the medical procedures triggered existential experiences of life, meaning, and morality. While some women abstained from any form of existential support, others expressed a need to reflect upon the existential aspects and/or to reconcile their decision emotionally. Conclusion: As women’s needs for existential support in relation to abortion vary, women can be disappointed with the personnel’s ability to respond to their thoughts and feelings related to the abortion. To ensure abortion care personnel meet the physical, psychological, and existential needs of each patient, better resources and new lines of education are needed to ensure abortion personnel are equipped to deal with the existential aspects of abortion care.Impact of Religio