Annie Bachelot
Speeches:
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Women’s experiences: Are they satisfied?
Annie Bachelot (France)
Unit INSERM-INED 822, Hôpital de Bicêtre, 82 rue du Général Leclerc, 94 276 Le Kremlin-Bicêtre Cedex, France
annie.bachelot@inserm.fr
This study aimed to document women’s experience of a home-use medical abortion and to compare it to women‘s experience of a hospital-use of misoprostol administration.
A total of 43 women participated in in-depth interviews, 4-6 weeks following their abortion, after their follow-up visit. For 12 women this abortion was not the first one.
Home-use of misoprostol affords women more privacy, comfort and control of their abortions, allowing someone familiar to provide support. The partners‘ participation seemed very important for women. But the home procedure can also create more anxiety than the hospital procedure, especially concerning the need for hospital admission in case of excessive bleeding, or the success of abortion. Women expressed their need for more explanations from clinicians. The different aspects of private status, “medical ability transfer” and social recognition of such abortions were explored.
Both home and hospital procedures should be available to allow women to make their own choice.