Women more open to contraception after abortion: Study

Women are more open to accepting contraceptive methods immediately after abortion, according to a recent study.
The study 'Associations Between Abortion Services and Acceptance of Post abortion Contraception in Six Indian States' highlights the prevalence and attributes of post-abortion contraceptive acceptance from 2,456 health facilities in six states, among 292,508 women who received abortion care from July 2011 to June 2014.
As per the study, 81 per cent of the women accepted modern contraception immediately after abortion while 53 per cent preferred short-term methods like oral contraceptive pills, condoms and injectables, 11 per cent intrauterine devices, and 16 per cent sterilization.

Further, post abortion contraceptive acceptance increased from 68 per cent in the first month of the intervention to 88 per cent towards the end of the intervention period.
"Post abortion contraception is an integral component of comprehensive abortion care services. It needs to be seen as a part of the package of services for women seeking safe abortion services rather than a standalone intervention.
"It gives an opportunity for a Comprehensive Abortion Care (CAC) trained provider and the woman to discuss her ability to effectively manage her reproductive choices," said Sushanta Banerjee, senior advisor, Research and Evaluation, Ipas Development Foundation, which conducted the study in collaboration with governments of six states-- Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Bihar and Jharkhand.

Post abortion contraceptive acceptance was the highest among women aged 25 years and older, the study said.

The six states contain 33 per cent of the country's population and account for an estimated 27 per cent of the total number of annual induced abortions.
During the three-year study period, 292,508 women received abortion services from 2,456 IDF supported health facilities in the six states, a release said.
As many as 37 per cent women were aged 24 years or younger, almost two-thirds (65 per cent) requested induced abortion services and the remaining 35 per cent received treatment for incomplete abortion or post abortion complications, the study said.

Comprehensive service-delivery interventions, including ensuring availability of skilled providers and contraceptive commodities, offering clinical mentoring for providers and improving provider counseling skills, can increase post-abortion contraceptive acceptance and reduce unintended pregnancy, the study added.