Stigmatization is a deeply contextual, dynamic social process; stigma from abortion is the discrediting of individuals as a result of their association with abortion. Abortion stigma is under-researched and under-theorized, and the few existing studies focus only on women who have had abortions. We build on this work, drawing from the social science literature to describe three groups whom we p...

BACKGROUND Most islands in the West Indies do not have liberal laws on abortion, nor laws on pregnancy prevention programmes (contraception). We present results of a literature review about the attitude of healthcare providers and women toward (emergency) contraception and induced abortion, prevalence, methods and juridical aspects of induced abortion and prevention policies. METHODS Articles...

Background Unsafe abortion remains a public health problem in Ghana with colossal costs to families, communities and health services, evident in persistently high maternal mortality ratios. It is well known that access to and utilization of family planning, safe and legal abortion services and quality post abortion care could help curtail the ramifications of unsafe abortions. Ghana has a liber...

Mortality by abortion has continuously decreased over the past fifty years in Chile. In fact, maternal death as a result of an induced abortion has become an exceptionally rare phenomenon in epidemiological terms (a risk of 1 in 4 million pregnant women of fertile age or 0.4 per 100,000 life births for abortion of any type, excluding ectopic pregnancy). After abortion became illegal in 1989, de...

CONTEXT In Mexico, where abortion remains largely illegal and clandestine, reliable data on induced abortion and related morbidity are critical for informing policies and programs. The only available national estimate of abortion is for 1990, and demographic and socioeconomic changes since then have likely affected abortion incidence. METHODS This study used official statistics on women treat...

BACKGROUND The long-term safety of surgical abortion in the first trimester is well established. Despite the increasing use of medical abortion (abortion by means of medication), limited information is available regarding the effects of this procedure on subsequent pregnancies. METHODS We identified all women living in Denmark who had undergone an abortion for nonmedical reasons between 1999 ...

CONTEXT Abortion induced by drugs is now a viable alternative to surgically induced abortion for U. S. women. Women's willingness to use these new methods of medical abortion hinges on the extent to which they prove acceptable, however. METHODS Among 304 women participating in a clinical trial of medical abortion, 186 received a methotrexate-induced abortion and 118 were offered the option of...

Undergoing a single diagnostic X-ray procedure does not result in radiation exposure adequate to threaten the well-being of the developing preembryo, embryo, or fetus and is not an indication for therapeutic abortion. When multiple diagnostic X-rays are anticipated during pregnancy, imaging procedures not associated with ionizing radiation, such as ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging...

OBJECTIVE To examine the cost-effectiveness of prenatal carrier screening for cystic fibrosis. METHODS A cost-benefit equation was developed that was based on the hypothesis that the cost of prenatal diagnosis required to diagnose and prevent one case of cystic fibrosis should be equal to or less than the lifetime cost generated from the birth of a neonate with cystic fibrosis. The formula wa...

BACKGROUND Induced abortion accounts for 1 in 8 of approximately 600000 maternal deaths that occur annually worldwide. Induced abortion rate can be considered as one of the indicators for assessing availability of the appropriate reproductive health plans for women and identifying needs for appropriate related health policies and programs. MATERIAL AND METHODS Researchers searched Pubmed, Goo...