Comprehensive Abortion Care

Abstract

Abortion is a common part of people’s reproductive lives, regardless of where they live in the world.

When using World Health Organization-recommended methods of either surgical or medical abortion, procedures are very safe and effective, and providers do not need a lot of information or testing to provide quality services. Both medical and surgical methods may be used to induce or to treat incomplete abortion. Although both methods are safe and effective, they have different characteristics and acceptability; therefore, clients should be given the choice of method in settings where it is possible.

Service delivery can include provision of surgical and medical abortion services by many cadres of providers, from nurses and midwives to physicians. Most people (generally around 90%) seek induced abortion before 12 weeks’ gestation, during which time medical abortion can be safely provided either through an in-person clinical encounter or through telemedicine, and there is emerging evidence of safe over-the-counter-like use.

Postabortion care includes the timely management of an unsafe or spontaneous abortion (spontaneous loss of pregnancy) that has happened or is in progress; it has been a global strategy to reduce the morbidity and mortality related to less safe abortions. For all people having an abortion, postabortion care includes information and voluntary provision of postabortion contraception or other desired reproductive health services.