Examining factors associated with post-abortion family planning among women in refugee settings in Uganda

Document Type

Article (peer-reviewed)

Publication Date

12-15-2025

Abstract

Proactively offering voluntary post-abortion family planning (PAFP) counselling and services at the same time and location where postabortion care is provided is a recommended practice to reduce unintended pregnancies and unsafe abortions. However, adoption of PAFP is still low, and the factors influencing its acceptance, particularly in humanitarian contexts, are not fully understood. This study examined factors associated with the uptake of PAFP among women receiving post-abortion care (PAC) in refugee settings in Uganda and explored whether the woman’s perceived quality of PAC influenced uptake of PAFP. Patients receiving PAC in refugee settings in Uganda reported moderate to high quality of care, with notable shortcomings primarily in the areas of communication and autonomy. The way women perceived their quality of care did not have a significant impact on whether she left with a family planning method. Factors such as having earned money in the last month and desire to leave with a method were strongly associated with PAFP uptake. Our results emphasize the low adoption of PAFP in refugee settings in Uganda, indicating the need for focused strategies that enhance family planning use while respecting reproductive autonomy. It is important to reinforce family planning counseling as an integral component of PAC services and to enhance the quality of PAC services, paying special attention to communication and patient autonomy.

DOI

10.1177/17455057251401754

Language

English

Project

Baobab: Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in Refugee Settings

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