Document Type

Brief

Publication Date

2005

Abstract

A woman’s fertility can return quickly following an abortion or miscarriage, yet recent data show high levels of unmet need for family planning (FP) among women who have been treated for incomplete abortion. This leaves many women at risk of another unintended pregnancy and in some cases subsequent repeated abortions and abortion-related complications. It is thus vital for programs to provide a comprehensive package of postabortion care (PAC) services that includes medical treatment, FP counseling and services, and other reproductive health services such as evaluation and treatment for sexually transmitted infections, HIV counseling and/or testing, and community support and mobilization. Providing FP services within PAC benefits clients and programs. Facilities that can effectively treat women with incomplete abortions can also provide contraceptive services, including counseling and appropriate methods. As stated in this brief, any provider who can treat incomplete abortion can also provide selected FP methods. Clients, providers, and programs benefit when FP methods are provided to postabortion clients at the time of treatment.

DOI

10.31899/rh16.1006

Language

English

Project

Frontiers in Reproductive Health

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