Consequences of gestational age limits for people needing abortion care during the COVID-19 pandemic

Zordo, Silvia De; Mishtal, Joanna; Zanini, Giulia; Gerdts, Caitlin

doi:10.1080/26410397.2020.1818377

Cited by 15 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…This could indicate that more patients encountered barriers in obtaining services. Researchers have previously documented myriad reasons for delayed abortion, including logistical and financial challenges, 13 which were likely compounded during the pandemic 23,24 …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An exploratory study of COVID‐19‐related changes in abortion service availability and use in Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia

Bell

Berger

Sufrin

et al. 2023

Perspect Sexual Reproductive

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Objectives This exploratory study aimed to assess COVID‐19‐related changes in abortion service availability and use in Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia. Design Data came from a convenience sample of eight abortion clinics in this region. We implemented a cross‐sectional survey and collected retrospective aggregate monthly abortion data overall and by facility type, abortion type, and patient characteristics for March 2019–August 2020. We evaluated changes in the distribution of the total number of patients for March–August in 2019 compared to March–August 2020. We also conducted segmented regression analyses and produced scatter plots of monthly abortion patients overall and by facility type, abortion type, and patient characteristics, with separate fitted regression lines from the segmented regression models for the pre‐ and during‐COVID‐19 periods. Results Five clinics reported a reduced number of appointments early in the pandemic while four reported increased call volume. There were declines in the monthly abortion trend at hospital‐based clinics at the outset of the pandemic. Monthly number of medication abortions increased from March 2020 through August 2020 compared to pre‐COVID‐19 trends while instrumentation abortions 11 up to 19 weeks decreased. The share of abortions to Black individuals increased during the early phase of the pandemic, as did the monthly trend in abortions among this group. We also saw changes in payment type, with declines in patients paying out‐of‐pocket. Conclusions Results revealed differences in abortion services, numbers, and types during the early stages of the COVID‐19 pandemic in Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An exploratory study of COVID‐19‐related changes in abortion service availability and use in Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia

Bell

Berger

Sufrin

et al. 2023

Perspect Sexual Reproductive

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…It is increasingly evident that access to legal abortion (a fundamental requirement for a supportive enabling environment) is under assault around the globe, and significant barriers remain to abortion access even where it is legally available. 14 Given the current landscape of abortion globally, the paradigm of evaluating ‘abortion safety’ using clinical process measures alone is no longer sufficient. The standard clinical process measures previously used to measure abortion safety simply fail to capture the elements of an abortion experience that are most salient to people’s lives and well-being.…”

Section: From Safety To Qualitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…An enabling environment is the foundation of quality, comprehensive abortion care’. It is increasingly evident that access to legal abortion (a fundamental requirement for a supportive enabling environment) is under assault around the globe, and significant barriers remain to abortion access even where it is legally available 14. Given the current landscape of abortion globally, the paradigm of evaluating ‘abortion safety’ using clinical process measures alone is no longer sufficient.…”

Section: From Safety To Qualitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Beyond safety: the 2022 WHO abortion guidelines and the future of abortion safety measurement

et al. 2022

Self Cite

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“…It will be even worse to the most vulnerable women -black, indigenous, Latin, immigrants, especially those without documents, minors, people with some type of disability, women in rural contexts, and victims of intimate partner violence 43,44 -who will suffer the consequences of this curtailing of services. Finding access to the procedure impeded, they will experience an increase in cost and risk, or even need to resort to unsafe abortion 30,35,45,46 . These barriers to access can also compel many women to continue with a pregnancy that, for various reasons, they had decided to terminate.…”

Section: The Covid-19 Pandemic and Legal Abortion Services Worldwidementioning

confidence: 99%

Abortion and the COVID-19 pandemic: insights for Latin America

et al. 2021

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The COVID-19 pandemic may accentuate existing problems, hindering access to legal abortion, with a consequent increase in unsafe abortions. This scenario may be even worse in low- and middle-income countries, especially in Latin America, where abortion laws are already restrictive and access to services is already hampered. Our objective was to understand how different countries, with an emphasis on Latin Americans, have dealt with legal abortion services in the context of the COVID-19. Thus, we conducted a narrative review on abortion and COVID-19. The 75 articles included, plus other relevant references, indicate that the pandemic affects sexual and reproductive health services by amplifying existing problems and restricting access to reproductive rights, such as legal abortion. This impact may be even stronger in low- and middle-income countries, especially in Latin America, where access to legal abortion is normally restricted. The revision of sources in this article underlines the urgent need to maintain legal abortion services, both from women’s perspective, in support of their reproductive rights, but also from that of the international commitment to achieving the Millennium Development Goals. Thereby, Latin American countries must place reproductive rights as a priority on their agendas and adapt legislation to accommodate alternative models of abortion care. Furthermore, our results underscore the need for clear information on the functioning of sexual and reproductive health services as essential for understanding the impact of the pandemic on legal abortion and to identify the groups most affected by the changes.

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Consequences of gestational age limits for people needing abortion care during the COVID-19 pandemic

Cited by 15 publications

References 12 publications

An exploratory study of COVID‐19‐related changes in abortion service availability and use in Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia

An exploratory study of COVID‐19‐related changes in abortion service availability and use in Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia

Beyond safety: the 2022 WHO abortion guidelines and the future of abortion safety measurement

Abortion and the COVID-19 pandemic: insights for Latin America

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