Reactions to medical abortion among providers of surgical abortion: an early snapshot

Medical abortion has the potential to expand US women's access to pregnancy termination, especially in areas that lack surgical providers. Exploratory interviews conducted in 1996 with 25 long-term providers of surgical abortion offered a "snapshot" of an early moment in the adoption of medical abortion techniques in the US. 20 of these providers already had experience with methotrexate and/or mifepristone. Overall, the interviews suggested that innovation in the area of abortifacient agents is likely to proceed slowly and cautiously, despite their high degrees of efficacy and safety. Although providers were committed to providing women a full range of abortion alternatives, they indicated that medical abortion demands substantial modifications in office routines. For example, counseling medical abortion patients requires twice the time as talking to a surgical abortion patient. The need for ultrasound to size very early pregnancies and ensure the abortion has been completed restricts provision to physicians with access to this technology. The requirement of ultrasound and multiple office visits makes medical abortion more costly than the surgical approach. Continued expansion in the ranks of medical abortion providers is dependent upon factors such as the ultimate status of mifepristone in terms of US Food and Drug Administration approval and appropriate manufacturing and distribution arrangements, clarification of whether misoprostol insertion must be performed in a physician's office, the willingness of managed care insurance plans to cover this alternative, and the response of US anti-abortion organizations.     

A Human Rights Framework for Advancing the Standard of Medical Care for Incarcerated People in the United States in the Time of COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the lack of resources and oversight that hinders medical care for incarcerated people in the United States. The US Supreme Court has held that “deliberate indifference” to “serious medical needs” violates the Constitution. But this legal standard does not assure the consistent provision of health care services. This leads the United States to fall behind European nations that define universal standards of care grounded in principles of human rights and the ideal of equivalence that incarcerated and non-incarcerated people are entitled to the same health care. In this paper, we review a diverse legal and policy literature and undertake a conceptual analysis of policy issues related to the standard of care in correctional health; we then describe a framework for moving incrementally closer toward a universal standard. The expansion of Medicaid funding and benefits to corrections facilities, alongside a system of comprehensive and enforceable external oversight, would meaningfully raise the standard of care. Although these changes on their own will not resolve all of the thorny health problems posed by mass incarceration, they present a tangible opportunity to move closer to the human rights ideal.     

The impact of COVID-19 on abortion access: Insights from the European Union and the United Kingdom

Government policies on abortion are a longstanding topic of heated political debates. The COVID-19 pandemic shook health systems to the core adding further to the complexity of this topic, as imposed national lockdowns and movement restrictions affected access to timely abortion for millions of women across the globe. In this paper, we examine how countries within the European Union and the United Kingdom responded to challenges brought by the COVID-19 crisis in terms of access to abortion. By combining information from various sources, we have explored different responses according to two dimensions: changes in policy and protocols, and reported difficulties in access. Our analysis shows significant differences across the observed regions and salient debates around abortion. While some countries made efforts to maintain and facilitate abortion care during the pandemic through the introduction or expansion of use of telemedicine and early medical abortion, others attempted to restrict it further. The situation was also diverse in the countries where governments did not change policies or protocols. Based on our data analysis, we provide a framework that can help policy makers improve abortion access.     

COVID-19 en residencias de mayores: factores estructurales y experiencias que avalan un cambio de modelo en España

The effects of COVID-19 pandemic on older people living in care homes have been devastating. In Spain approximately 3% of the cases and 40% of the deaths have occurred in this group. In addition, due to measures taken to control the crisis, the incidence of geriatric syndromes has increased, and residents’ fundamental rights have been violated. In this article we describe structural factors of care homes and their relationship with public health services that have influenced the impact of the pandemic. We suggest different types of group homes, and models of provision/coordination with public health services that have given excellent results protecting nursing homes residents from COVID-19, as alternative models to conventional residences and to the regular provision of health care services. We recommend that these successful experiences are taken into account in the transformation of the social-health model (to one integrated and focused on people) that has begun to be implemented in some Autonomous Communities of Spain.     

Attitudes and intentions of future health care providers toward abortion provision

CONTEXT: Induced abortion is one of the most common procedures performed among women in the United States. However, 87% of all counties had no abortion provider in 2000, and little is known about the attitudes and intentions of future health care providers, including advanced clinical practitioners, regarding abortion provision. METHODS: During March 2002, first- and second-year students in health sciences programs (i.e., medicine, physician assistant and nursing) at the University of Washington were anonymously surveyed. Univariate, bivariate and multivariate analyses were used to determine students' attitudes and intentions regarding provision of abortion services. RESULTS: Of the 312 students who completed the survey, 70% supported the availability of legal abortion under any circumstances. Thirty-one percent intended to provide medical abortion in their practice, and 18% planned to offer surgical abortion. Fifty-two percent of all respondents agreed that advanced clinical practitioners should be able to provide medical abortion, and 37% agreed that they should be able to provide surgical abortion services; however, greater proportions of advanced clinical practitioners (45-83%) than of medical students (21-43%) expressed such support. Sixty-four percent of all respondents were willing to attend a program whose curriculum requires abortion training. CONCLUSIONS: Although it may not be possible to require abortion training for every future health care provider, making abortion a standard part of clinical training would provide opportunities for future physicians and advanced clinical practitioners, and would likely ameliorate the abortion provider shortage.     

Factors associated with the timing of abortions

The timing of an abortion (often measured as gestational age) can have important effects on the woman's physical health and on the cost of the procedure. To the authors' knowledge, there has been only one national analysis of the factors associated with the gestational age at abortion, but it employed data from over 20 years ago. The state‐specific studies that have explored abortion timing have typically examined the effects of a specific change in abortion regulations. In this study, we employ annual, state‐level data covering the 1991–2014 period that measure the frequency of abortions by gestational age. We regress these measures of abortion utilization on policy, economic, demographic, and health care infrastructure characteristics. The estimates indicate that the introduction of state restrictions on Medicaid funding of abortions is associated with a 13% increase in the rate of abortions after the first trimester. We do not find a statistically significant association between parental involvement laws and the rate or percentage of post‐first‐trimester abortions.     

经阴道彩色多普勒超声预测药物流产不全及干预效果的探讨

目的:探讨多普勒超声早期预测药物流产不全的敏感指标及高危病例的干预措施。方法:对196例使用药物终止妊娠的健康妇女,在其孕囊排出当天使用经阴道彩色多普勒超声检测其孕囊着床部位的血流信号及螺旋动脉阻力指数(RI),进而选择早期预测药物流产不全的最佳RI值。再对358例进行药物流产的健康妇女通过预测值获取药物流产不全高危者60例随机分为两组,流产后分别加服米非司酮(米非司酮治疗组)、生化汤(生化汤治疗组)各30例,观察比较两组药物流产结局。结果:196例药物流产妇女中,完全流产者(167例)孕囊排出当天着床部位血流信号消失或螺旋动脉RI值显著增大(P<0.01),不完全流产者(29例)的RI值变化不显著(P>0.05),孕囊排出当天RI值<0.6预测药物流产不全可能的准确率为96.43%。经过对RI值<0.6的60例高危病例干预,米非司酮治疗组完全流产率(63.3%)高于生化汤治疗组(13.3%)(P<0.01)。结论:采用经阴道彩色多普勒超声可对药物流产不全进行早期预测,当RI值<0.6时,可视为高危药物流产不全,在药物流产后增服米非司酮能有效减少流产不全的发生。     

Abortion laws into action: implementing legal reform

The worldwide trend towards liberalizing abortion laws has resulted in reduced abortion-related mortality in areas where legal abortion is accessible. In countries considering abortion reform, policy-makers and health care providers have a responsibility to ensure that provisions of any new law can be met. Preparations underway to prepare for South Africa's new abortion law can serve as a guideline for such action. A new abortion law calls for policy changes that may include 1) developing new standards, protocols, and guidelines for abortion care services; 2) ensuring provision of adequate trained staff willing to provide abortions; 3) streamlining administrative regulations to avoid delays; 4) establishing regulations and mechanisms for drug and equipment supply and distribution; 5) restructuring the health system to accommodate provision of abortion services; 6) allocating funds for new abortion services; and 7) reviewing and revising security measures. In addition, health professionals will require training in abortion provision, staff will need information updates about aspects of the legislation, and administrators and providers in a position to impede provision of services must be made aware of the affect of unsafe abortion on maternal health. Researchers should document the effect of the new law on women's health, the provision of reproductive health services, and the community. IEC (information, education, communication) activities will be required to inform the public about the new law and services, establish sex education programs in schools and health facilities, and mobilize family planning organizations and programs to help reduce the incidence of repeat abortions.     

A review of evidence for safe abortion care

Background

The provision of safe abortion services to women who need them has the potential to drastically reduce or eliminate maternal deaths due to unsafe abortion. The World Health Organization recently updated its evidence-based guidance for safe and effective clinical practices using data from systematic reviews of the literature.

Materials and Methods

Systematic reviews pertaining to the evidence for safe abortion services, from pre-abortion care, medical and surgical methods of abortion and post-abortion care were evaluated for relevant outcomes, primarily those relating to safety, effectiveness and women's preference.

Results

Sixteen systematic reviews were identified and evaluated. The available evidence does not support the use of pre-abortion ultrasound to increase safety. Routine use of cervical preparation with osmotic dilators, mifepristone or misoprostol after 14 weeks gestation reduces complications; at early gestational ages, surgical abortions have very few complications. Prophylactic antibiotics result in lower rates of post-surgical abortion infection. Pain medication such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatories should be offered to women undergoing abortion procedures; acetaminophen, however, is not effective in reducing pain. Women who are eligible should be offered a choice between surgical (vacuum aspiration or dilation and evacuation) and medical methods (mifepristone and misoprostol) of abortion when possible. Modern methods of contraception can be safely initiated immediately following abortion procedures.

Conclusions

Evidence-based guidelines assist health care providers and policymakers to utilize the best data available to provide safe abortion care and prevent the millions of deaths and disabilities that result from unsafe abortion.     

Improving induced abortion care in Scotland: enablers and constraints

BACKGROUND: Induced abortion is the most common gynaecological procedure in Scotland. Despite several recent initiatives to improve the quality of abortion care, inappropriate variations in care remain. OBJECTIVE: To identify and explore factors that enable or constrain the provision of high-quality induced abortion care in Scotland. METHODS: Interviews with a range of key informants with differing perspectives and levels of involvement in abortion care. The interview framework identified factors related to recommendations, targeted individuals, or the organisation and wider environment that enable or inhibit evidence-based practice. RESULTS: Induced abortion care in Scotland is generally perceived to be of good quality but the need for further action to tackle important inappropriate variations in care is recognised. Some aspects of care can be improved by tackling individual-level barriers and providing better evidence to support change. Some individual-level barriers (e.g.attitudes) are less amenable to change than others (e.g.knowledge). However, major barriers to quality improvement are rooted in organisational and social culture. CONCLUSION: Tackling variations in abortion care requires a multilevel approach targeting both individual factors and organisational culture.     

Interruption volontaire de grossesse et COVID-19 : ce que la pandémie a modifié en 2020

ObjectiveThe management measures to contain the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in 2020 has upset the organization of society, particularly the organization of the health system. We aimed to analyze the evolution of induced abortions in the Paris region in 2020 and to highlight the impact of the first confinement.MethodData from the National Health Insurance plan was analyzed to study abortion during the pandemic period (2020) compared to the previous four years (2016–2019). In 2020 the indicators of induced abortion were studied monthly to highlight the impact of the confinement. The age of women, the method used to terminate the pregnancy, the gestational age at the time of the abortion and the area of residence of women were analyzed.ResultsAfter five consecutive years of increasing abortion rates, our result showed that the number of abortions declined from 53,601 in 2019 to 50,615 in 2020 (decline of 5.6%). The abortion rate was 17.3 per 1,000 women aged 15–49 in 2019 and 16.3‰ in 2020. This drop was observed within 4 weeks following the first confinement. It concerned particularly abortions carried out in the hospital context and abortions of young women (< 25 years old). In 2020 the rate of medical abortions increased compared to the 4 years preceding the pandemic. The use of local anesthesia for surgical abortions also increased in the Paris region during the first confinement. Our study showed a fewer proportion of late abortion (over 12 weeks of amenorrhea) in 2020. This analysis also showed a drop in the number of births in the eight to nine months that followed the first confinement in the Paris region.Discussion and ConclusionThe COVID-19 pandemic has had health consequences not directly attributable to the virus. In terms of reproduction, the pandemic, particularly the first lockdown, has been associated to a decrease in conceptions resulting in a decrease in the number pregnancies including those ending in induced abortion or childbirth. The reduction of abortions is observed in the four weeks following the first confinement and the fall in the birth rate in the following 8 to 9 months.     

Expanding medical abortion: can medical abortion be effectively provided without the routine use of ultrasound?

Medical abortion studies have traditionally relied on ultrasound to confirm gestational age, intrauterine location and abortion completion. However, the routine dependence on ultrasound can limit access to safe services for women living in low resource settings that are often most in need of safe abortion care. This review discusses the literature surrounding the safe provision of medical abortion without the routine use of ultrasonography and concludes that clinicians can use the reported last menstrual period (LMP) and physical examination to reasonably estimate gestational age. Completed pregnancy expulsion can be confirmed primarily through history and physical examination with some studies indicating that urine pregnancy tests may also play a limited role. Central to the discussion of whether medical abortion can be provided in most low resource settings without the routine use of ultrasonography is the fact that the mifepristone–misoprostol regimen is a highly effective procedure for pregnancy termination through 63 days' gestation.     

Secondary Measures of Access to Abortion Services in the United States, 2011 and 2012: Gestational Age Limits,Cost, and Harassment

BackgroundAspects of U.S. clinical abortion service provision such as gestational age limits, charges for abortion services, and anti-abortion harassment can impact the accessibility of abortion; this study documents changes in these measures between 2008 and 2012.MethodsIn 2012 and 2013, we surveyed all known abortion-providing facilities in the United States (n = 1,720). This study summarizes information obtained about gestational age limits, charges, and exposure to anti-abortion harassment among clinics; response rates for relevant items ranged from 54% (gestational limits) to 80% (exposure to harassment). Weights were constructed to compensate for nonresponding facilities. We also examine the distribution of abortions and abortion facilities by region.FindingsAlmost all abortion facilities (95%) offered abortions at 8 weeks’ gestation; 72% did so at 12 weeks, 34% at 20 weeks, and 16% at 24 weeks in 2012. In 2011 and 2012, the median charge for a surgical abortion at 10 weeks gestation was $495, and $500 for an early medication abortion, compared with $503 and $524 (adjusted for inflation) in 2009. In 2011, 84% of clinics experienced at least one form of harassment, only slightly higher than found in 2009. Hospitals and physicians' offices accounted for a substantially smaller proportion of facilities in the Midwest and South. Clinics in the Midwest and South were exposed to more harassment than their counterparts in the Northeast and West.ConclusionsAlthough there was a substantial decline in abortion incidence between 2008 and 2011, the secondary measures of abortion access examined in this study changed little during this time period.     

Early abortion services in the United States: a provider survey

The objective of this study was to describe the availability of early surgical and medical abortion among members of the National Abortion Federation (NAF) and to identify factors affecting the integration of early abortion services into current services. Telephone interviews were conducted with staff at 113 Planned Parenthood affiliates and independent abortion providers between February and April 2000, prior to FDA approval of mifepristone. Early abortion services were available at 59% of sites, and establishing services was less difficult than or about what was anticipated. Sites generally found it easier to begin offering early surgical abortion than early medical abortion. Physician participation was found to be critical to implementing early services. At sites where some but not all providers offered early abortion, variations in service availability resulted. Given the option of reconsidering early services, virtually all sites would make the same decision again. These data suggest that developing mentoring relationships between experienced early abortion providers/sites and those not offering early services, and training physicians and other staff, are likely to be effective approaches to expanding service availability.     

Infection control measures on ships and in ports during the early stage of pandemic influenza A (H1N1) 2009

Shipping companies were surveyed to evaluate the effect of public health measures during the influenza A (H1N1) pandemic of 2009 on ship and port operations. Of 31 companies that operated 960 cruise, cargo, and other ships, 32% experienced health-screening measures by port health authorities. Approximately a quarter of ports (26%) performed screening at embarkation and 77% of shipping companies changed procedures during the early stage of the pandemic. Four companies reported outbreaks of pandemic influenza A (H1N1) 2009 on ships, which were ultimately stopped through infection control practices. Public health measures did not interfere substantially with port and ship operations with the exception of some port authorities that delayed embarking and disembarking procedures in a few ships. However, in the shipping companies' experience, measures were inconsistent between port health authorities. Access to antiviral drugs and pandemic vaccine was not provided in all ports. Current guidelines on medical care, hygiene, and emergency procedures on ships need to address pandemic influenza preparedness in future revisions.     

Has mifepristone medical abortion expanded abortion access in New Mexico? A survey of OB-GYN and Family Medicine physicians

Background

The FDA approval of mifepristone in 2000 broadened the available options for abortion. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether physicians in New Mexico have integrated the use of mifepristone into their practice.

Study Design

We performed a mail-out survey of New Mexico Obstetrician Gynecologists (Ob-Gyn) and Family Medicine (FM) physicians in 2001 and 2008. Questions addressed integration of abortion services, attitudes towards providing abortion in different scenarios and barriers to offering abortion services.

Results

The response rates were 59% for the 2001 survey and 54% in 2008. In 2001 and 2008, 11% and 15% (p=.26) of physicians, respectively, provided any abortion — medical or surgical. Similarly, in 2001 and 2008, 5% and 10% (p=.07) provided medical abortion. Commonly cited barriers to provision of abortion in both years were beliefs against abortion and lack of training.

Conclusions

The number of physicians offering any abortion or medical abortion in New Mexico has not changed since the FDA approval of mifepristone. Residency training programs in FM and in Ob-gyn should include training in medical abortion.     

Nurse versus physician-provision of early medical abortion in Mexico: a randomized controlled non-inferiority trial

Objective

To examine the effectiveness, safety, and acceptability of nurse provision of early medical abortion compared to physicians at three facilities in Mexico City.

Methods

We conducted a randomized non-inferiority trial on the provision of medical abortion and contraceptive counselling by physicians or nurses. The participants were pregnant women seeking abortion at a gestational duration of 70 days or less. The medical abortion regimen was 200 mg of oral mifepristone taken on-site followed by 800 μg of misoprostol self–administered buccally at home 24 hours later. Women were instructed to return to the clinic for follow-up 7–15 days later. We did an intention-to-treat analysis for risk differences between physicians’ and nurses’ provision for completion and the need for surgical intervention.

Findings

Of 1017 eligible women, 884 women were included in the intention-to-treat analysis, 450 in the physician-provision arm and 434 in the nurse-provision arm. Women who completed medical abortion, without the need for surgical intervention, were 98.4% (443/450) for physicians’ provision and 97.9% (425/434) for nurses’ provision. The risk difference between the group was 0.5% (95% confidence interval, CI: −1.2% to 2.3%). There were no differences between providers for examined gestational duration or women’s contraceptive method uptake. Both types of providers were rated by the women as highly acceptable.

Conclusion

Nurses’ provision of medical abortion is as safe, acceptable and effective as provision by physicians in this setting. Authorizing nurses to provide medical abortion can help to meet the demand for safe abortion services.     

Can mifepristone medical abortion be simplified? A review of the evidence and questions for future research

Mifepristone medical abortion has been a valuable addition to the reproductive health options of women. Aspects of its provision have however sometimes limited its accessibility and use. This article summarizes existing evidence for simplifying the provision of medical abortion and thus increasing its availability. We identify three ways through which medical abortion provision might be simplified based on existing evidence and suggest five additional simplifications that require further research to confirm their safety and efficacy.