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Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / The prevention of abortion related complications and mortality is dependent on the availability, accessibility and usability of emergency post-abortion care (PAC) throughout the health care system. Unfortunately, abortion is not legal in Nigeria and Nigerian women, especially adolescents, are often unable to obtain adequate post-abortion care services due to a variety of reasons. A review of literature shows that adolescent PAC patients receive worse care than older women seeking PAC services. There is widespread recognition of the need to overcome these barriers and make it easier for women to obtain the PAC services they need. Therefore, overall aim of this research study was to provide empirical information on the barriers and challenges to adolescents' PAC and develop a policy document to inform reproductive health services for Nigerian hospitals. To develop this policy document, the study specifically sought to assess knowledge of reproductive-health and related post-abortion care services among health care providers; describe the adolescents' perception of post-abortion care received; determine the service providers' perspectives on adolescents' post-abortion care challenges and barriers; analyze the challenges and barriers faced by adolescents in obtaining post-abortion care services; explore ways in which the knowledge about challenges and barriers to adolescents' post-abortion care can be used to inform policy; develop policy document and make recommendations in key areas to improved PAC services in Nigeria as part of working towards improving reproductive health services.

Background: Despite proven efficacy, Manual Vacuum Aspiration (MVA) use for incomplete abortions is low in the Swaziland setting, including Raleigh Fitkin Memorial (RFM) Hospital. Uncertainty in the costs implications of introducing MVA to replace Dilatation and Curettage (D&C) is the major hindrance to change. This study aimed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of introducing MVA as an evacuation method for first trimester incomplete miscarriages as well as assess the implications of the introduction of MVA to the entire post-abortion care budget at RFM Hospital. Methods: The methods comprised cost-effectiveness and budget impact analyses from a healthcare perspective based on a theoretical cohort. Clinical outcomes data for procedures were obtained from relevant literature. Costs were collated from prospective suppliers and then compared for the two treatment modalities. Future numbers of annual evacuations were extrapolated from previous annual figures. First trimester miscarriages were in turn extrapolated from proportions found in previous studies. Total budgets were calculated under the current scenario, as well as if MVA had to be introduced. Results: With initial capital costs of ZAR11 093.00, introduction of MVA for first trimester incomplete abortions will cut post-abortion care costs by 34.7%. MVA would cost ZAR819.86 per procedure while D&C costs ZAR1 255.40 per procedure. An estimated 26 MVA procedures done instead of D&C will compensate for the initial capital investment. Introduction of MVA into the post-abortion care programme will save the hospital about ZAR516 115.30 annually, with at least similar clinical outcomes compared to D&C. Conclusions: MVA should be considered as the first option in first trimester post abortion care. / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / gm2014 / Clinical Epidemiology / unrestricted

An abortion, be it induced or spontaneous, can be a traumatic experience in the life of a woman and her family. Women can use abortion as a method of family planning or to end an unwanted pregnancy. On the contrary there are women who wish to have children of their own, but experience spontaneous abortion or recurrent abortion. When women go through an abortion they may experience different dimensions of side effects and symptoms. The women may experience physical symptoms such as blood loss, pain and sepsis as well as psychological symptoms such as despair, depression and grief. Studies indicate that women who have abortions do not receive the care that they require and are in need of high quality care. There is a need for a systematic synthesis of the best available evidence regarding interventions for nursing practitioners. This can be used to inform practice. This research study aim to critically review and synthesise best available evidence regarding the best nursing practices for women who have an abortion. This was done by conducting a thorough step-by-step systematic review with the following objectives: to critically review available research evidence on abortion care and to synthesise best practices for abortion care provided by nurses. This study can provide nursing practitioners with the necessary information about the best available evidence regarding abortion care provided by nurses. The information can be used to increase and improve the nursing practitioner’s knowledge and to promote and enhance future questions and research. Through the step-by-step use of the systematic review after a thorough search and screening of potentially relevant studies on nurses providing abortion care according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, the critical appraisal and data extraction of nine final relevant studies could be used for data analysis and synthesis. Conclusion statements were drawn and later combined and synthesised, graded and evaluated to provide the current best available evidence. The research was evaluated, limitations identified and recommendations made for nursing practice, nursing education and nursing research. The overall conclusion that can be drawn is there is not enough sufficient evidence to demonstrate that abortion care such as contraceptive counselling and/or psychological follow-up care provided by nurses and/or midwives before and after an induced or spontaneous abortion is sufficient and effective in reducing recurrent abortions, reducing despair, depression and grief and improving psychological consequences and increasing contraceptive usage. More research must be done on abortion nursing care. / MCur, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

An abortion, be it induced or spontaneous, can be a traumatic experience in the life of a woman and her family. Women can use abortion as a method of family planning or to end an unwanted pregnancy. On the contrary there are women who wish to have children of their own, but experience spontaneous abortion or recurrent abortion. When women go through an abortion they may experience different dimensions of side effects and symptoms. The women may experience physical symptoms such as blood loss, pain and sepsis as well as psychological symptoms such as despair, depression and grief. Studies indicate that women who have abortions do not receive the care that they require and are in need of high quality care. There is a need for a systematic synthesis of the best available evidence regarding interventions for nursing practitioners. This can be used to inform practice. This research study aim to critically review and synthesise best available evidence regarding the best nursing practices for women who have an abortion. This was done by conducting a thorough step-by-step systematic review with the following objectives: to critically review available research evidence on abortion care and to synthesise best practices for abortion care provided by nurses. This study can provide nursing practitioners with the necessary information about the best available evidence regarding abortion care provided by nurses. The information can be used to increase and improve the nursing practitioner’s knowledge and to promote and enhance future questions and research. Through the step-by-step use of the systematic review after a thorough search and screening of potentially relevant studies on nurses providing abortion care according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, the critical appraisal and data extraction of nine final relevant studies could be used for data analysis and synthesis. Conclusion statements were drawn and later combined and synthesised, graded and evaluated to provide the current best available evidence. The research was evaluated, limitations identified and recommendations made for nursing practice, nursing education and nursing research. The overall conclusion that can be drawn is there is not enough sufficient evidence to demonstrate that abortion care such as contraceptive counselling and/or psychological follow-up care provided by nurses and/or midwives before and after an induced or spontaneous abortion is sufficient and effective in reducing recurrent abortions, reducing despair, depression and grief and improving psychological consequences and increasing contraceptive usage. More research must be done on abortion nursing care. / MCur, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Bakgrund: Barnmorskor och sjuksköterskor världen över möter och vårdar kvinnor som av olika skäl genomför en inducerad abort. Det kan vara en utmaning som kräver både kunskap och stöd för dem som arbetar inom abortvården. Syfte: Syftet med studien var att belysa barnmorskors och sjuksköterskors erfarenheter av att vårda kvinnor i samband med inducerad abort. Ordet erfarenheter innefattar upplevelser och åsikter baserat på erfarenheter. Metod: Studien genomfördes som en kvalitativ metasyntes med metaetnografi som analysmetod. Tjugosju (27) artiklar inkluderades i resultatet. Resultat: Tre huvudkategorier och tio mönster belyser barnmorskors och sjuksköterskors erfarenheter av att vårda kvinnor i samband med inducerad abort. Dessa var att göra ett bra arbete genom att vara ett stöd, att åsidosätta egna värderingar och att skapa goda upplevelser för kvinnan. Barriärer för kvalitativ abortvård i form av negativa attityder från omgivningen, brister i verksamheten, bristande preventivmedelsanvändning, egna känslor och ta emot fostret. Behov hos vårdgivarna i form av stöd och kunskap. Slutsats: Den abortsökande kvinnan är i behov av stöd och icke dömande attityder från vårdgivare. Barnmorskor och sjuksköterskor behöver ha kunskap och få stöd i arbetet med abortvård. Brist på stöd och kunskap hos barnmorskor och sjuksköterskor kan påverka attityder om kvinnors rätt till inducerad abort inom kollegiet på en arbetsplats, vilket i sin tur kan ha en inverkan på den abortsökande kvinnans omvårdnad. / Background : Midwives and nurses all over the world meet with and care for women who, for various reasons, are undergoing induced abortion. It may be a challenge that requires both knowledge and support for those working in abortion care.Objective: To describe midwives and nurses’ experiences of caring for women who undergo induced abortion. The word experience includes perceptions based on experiences. Method: The study was conducted as a qualitative metasynthesis using meta-ethnography as analysis of data. Twenty-seven (27) peer-reviewed scientific articles were included in the result. Result: Three main categories and ten different patterns highlighted the midwives and nurses' experiences of caring for women undergoing an induced abortion. These were doing a good job by being supportive, putting own values aside and with the goal to create good experiences for the woman. Barriers to qualitative abortion care included negative attitudes from the surroundings, own feelings, receiving the fetus and various issues at the abortion care clinics. The third category was the caregivers’ needs which included support and knowledge. Conclusion: The abortion-seeking woman is in need of support and non-judgmental attitudes from caregivers. Midwives and nurses need knowledge and support in the work of abortion care. Lack of support and knowledge can affect midwives and nurses’ attitudes towards induced abortion as a woman’s right, which in turn can affect the women in need of abortion care.

L'avortement provoqué sans indication médicale ou juridique dans les pays où il estinterdit comme au Burkina Faso pose à la fois un problème de santé publique et unproblème social. C'est cette double problématique que cette thèse a exploré pourexpliquer les difficultés que rencontre le pays à lutter contre les avortements à risque, etcomprendre les facteurs de l'accroissement de la pratique parmi les jeunes. Uneimmersion dans l'univers de l'avortement (structures sanitaires et vie de femmes etd'hommes ayant fait l'expérience de l'avortement) ainsi que des entretiens avecdifférents acteurs, ont permis de montrer que la manière dont l'avortement est pensé ettraité dans l'espace public burkinabè concourt à créer des obstacles rédhibitoires à saconstitution en problème réel de santé publique et à sa gestion efficiente. Il est conçusocialement comme une déviance et est fortement reprouvé. Les stigmates consécutifs àcette déviance et ses enjeux moraux et symboliques marquent alors de leur sceau leprocessus conduisant à la reconnaissance sociale et politique du problème. Parconséquent, l'avortement est partiellement inscrit à l'agenda des politiques publiques desanté, et les recours et les modalités d'accès aux services d'avortement dans lesstructures sanitaires s'en trouvent fortement influencés. Quant à l'occurrence del'avortement parmi les jeunes, elle a trait aux pratiques des jeunes urbains dans uncontexte marqué par une mutation des modes d'accès au statut d'adulte et une précaritééconomique et statutaire. Ce travail montre que les grossesses qui aboutissent auxavortements sont la conjugaison d'une hétéronomie des jeunes femmes et dedynamiques d'individuation dans leurs « débrouilles » pour devenir adulte et pourréussir dans la ville de Ouagadougou. À ce titre, cette recherche apporte unecontribution aux réflexions dans les champs de l'anthropologie des jeunes et del'anthropologie de la santé. / Induced abortion without medical or legal request in countries where it is prohibitedsuch as Burkina Faso poses both a public health and social problems. It is this doubleproblematic that this thesis explored in order to understand the causes of the difficultiesfacing the country to fight against unsafe abortions, and the factors that increased thispractice among young people. Immersion in abortion universe (health facilities andlives of women and men who have experienced abortion) and interviews with variousactors, have shown that the way abortion is thought and treated in public space combineto create insurmountable obstacles to its constitution as a real public health problem andits efficient management. It is designed as a deviance and it is highly reprobated.Consecutive stigmata due to this deviance and its moral and symbolic issues mark theirseals to the process leading to social and political recognition of the problem. Therefore,abortion is partially on the public health policies agenda, and access to abortion servicesin health structures are accordingly influenced. The occurrence of abortion among youthrefers to practices among “young people” in a context marked by a mutation of the wayof accessing social adulthood status, as well as economic and statutory precariousness.This work shows that pregnancies that lead to abortions are the combination of aheteronomy and individuation impulses within young women in their resourcefulness tobecome adult and succeed socially and economically in the city of Ouagadougou. Thisresearch therefore contributes to studies in the fields of anthropology of the subject andthe anthropology of health.

Department of Advanced Nursing Science / PhDH / Background: Despite measures to curb unwanted pregnancies and to sustain and expand abortion services, a high number of complications and deaths still occur. The failure of these measures is evidenced by the high number of women who are admitted to the public hospitals of KwaZulu-Natal Province with complications from induced abortions. KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health has repositioned Family Planning to a key priority in its health program in order to improve the situation for women. However, in order to improve the situation, it is necessary to understand the underlying causes. This study sought to identify challenges that affect women's access to Post Abortion Care (PAC) services in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. It also sought to shed light on the challenges faced by those who render PAC services, as well as assess the skills of those workers as observed while they provided PAC services. After conducting the research on challenges related to access and rendering of post abortion care services, the researcher identified a need to develop guidelines for management of unsafe and induced abortion complications, with the aim to improve the life expectancy of women and prevent maternal deaths. Therefore, an outcome of the study was the development of a PAC management guideline. Purpose: The purpose of the study was two-fold: Phase 1: to explore the challenges faced by women when accessing PAC, and the health care workers who render PAC services, and to assess the PAC skills of the health care workers; Phase 2: to use the findings of Phase 1 to develop guidelines for post abortion care management at selected Hospitals of KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. Methods: The design of the study was guided by the Andersen model of Health Care Utilization. The model focuses on the contextual factors - enabling factors, predisposing factors and need factors - that influence the individual's utilization of health care services. Five districts of KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa were selected for the study. A convergent parallel mixed method was used to collect and interpret the data. A qualitative study was used to explore perceptions and challenges of women when accessing PAC; this was carried out by means of in-depth interviews with 23 women who accessed PAC services. Five Focus Group Discussions (FGD) were carried out with 50 health care workers to explore the challenges they experienced when managing abortion complications. A quantitative approach was used for direct skills observation of 92 health care workers. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the qualitative data; descriptive statistics were used to analyse the quantitative data. Results: From the in-depth interview data, several main themes were identified. Women who accessed PAC identified a lack of facilities that offered PAC service, distance from the community to the hospital that provided PAC service, lack of transport, shortage of staff, unskilled staff, shortage of equipment, long waiting queues, stigma and discrimination as challenges associated with delay or avoidance of access to post abortion care services. The main themes raised by the health care providers were lack of support from the management, shortage of staff, lack of training, burnout, unavailability of the guidelines or protocols and shortage of equipment. The quality of PAC services was perceived as poor by both the women seeking care and the health care workers. The main concerns raised by the women were lack of respect, lack of privacy, sharing of bed and insufficient time with the health care provider. The results confirmed that guidelines are needed for the management of post abortion care services. The findings from the qualitative and quantitative parts of the study were used by an expert group to develop PAC management guidelines. The development of the guidelines was in accordance with the WHO models, PICOS & GRADES. The guidelines were validated by the group using a close-ended checklist, analysed with simple descriptive statistics. Conclusion: This study concludes that access to comprehensive quality post abortion care must be provided for all women at times of need. Quality PAC services should be rendered by skilled health care workers in a facility which is accessible and well equipped with functional equipments and updated guidelines. Recommendations: The study therefore recommends that measures should be taken to ensure the provision of quality PAC services. The PAC services should be accessible with the increased number of facilities, adequate trained health care workers with functional equipment and guidelines. Health care workers must receive training and management support to enhance quality PAC services. Privacy and respect must be maintained during provision of PAC services to ensure quality of care and increase demand. There must be continuous community awareness about PAC services which will encourage early-seeking behavior, and reduce fear of stigma and discrimination by the providers of PAC services before the complications arises. This study did not cover all the districts to identify the challenges on delaying PAC service. Therefore, this study recommends additional clinical, operations and community research which will give broader details and understanding on the challenges that cause delay for seeking immediate post abortion care services. / NRF