Does dedicated pre-abortion contraception counselling help to improve post-abortion contraception uptake?

Abstract

Objective: Many studies have shown a disappointing peri-abortion contraceptive uptake. This study investigated whether the provision of dedicated and targeted contraception counselling at the pre-abortion assessment visit can improve the post-abortion contraception uptake. Methods: The study comprised a 3-month prospective re-audit of the abortion clinic. Results: Of the 104 women seen during the re-audit period, 96% received post-abortion contraception. The majority (73%) of the women chose and received one of the less user-dependent contraceptive methods such as intrauterine contraceptive devices, the intrauterine contraceptive system, the progestogen injectable and subdermal implants. Conclusion: It was found that the provision of targeted contraception counselling by a dedicated team during the pre-abortion assessment visit can dramatically improve post-abortion contraception uptake.