It is estimated that 70,000-100,000 women die every year due to consequences of unsafe abortion. A majority of these deaths occur in low-income countries where induced abortion is illegal or clandestine. Unplanned pregnancy and unsafe abortion thus place a huge burden on scarce medical resources. Any improvement in comprehensive abortion care such as increased availability and acceptability of abortion services would mean important improvements for the concerned women and their families as well as for the societies at large.
Thus, ARTH will commence a research trial in Udaipur and nearby Rajsamand with the objective to assess the effectiveness and safety of self-assessment following a medical abortion procedure as compared to routine follow up. We aim to describe the acceptability and accuracy of home assessments of abortion outcomes among women in both rural and urban settings in Rajasthan, India and to describe contraceptive use and compliance among women prior to and post a medical abortion. The research will be carried out at four of ARTH’s rural health centres and one private hospital.
We are currently recruiting for this project.