Healthcare Providers’ Knowledge and Attitude Towards Abortions in Thailand: A Pre-Post Evaluation of Trainings on Safe Abortion

Abstract

Although physicians in Thailand can carry out abortions legally, unsafe abortion rates remain high and have serious consequences for women’s health. Training programs for healthcare providers on the ‘Care of unplanned and adolescent pregnancies for the prevention of unsafe abortions’ have been implemented in Thailand with the aim of providing information and challenging negative attitudes about abortions. This study investigated the participants of the training courses in order to: (i) evaluate their knowledge and attitudes towards safe abortions; and (ii) investigate the factors that determine their knowledge and attitudes. A pre-post study design was applied. Descriptive statistics were calculated to provide an overview of the data. Bivariate analysis, a Wilcoxon signed rank test and a multivariable analysis using multiple linear regression were applied to determine the changes in attitudes and assess the likelihood of behaviour change towards adolescents and women experiencing unplanned pregnancy and abortions, according to demographic and professional characteristics. Having had the training, healthcare providers’ change in attitudes towards adolescents and women experiencing unplanned pregnancies and abortions were found to be 0.67 points for the nine responses of attitudes and 0.79 points for the 14 responses on various abortion scenarios. Changes in attitude were significantly different among the varying health professional types, with non-doctors increasing by 0.53 points, non-obstetricians and non-gynaecologists increasing by 0.46 points and obstetricians and gynaecologists (OBGYN) increasing by 0.32 points. Positive attitudes towards unplanned pregnancies and unsafe abortions and attitudes towards abortion scenarios significantly increased. The career type of the health professional was a significant factor in improving attitudes. The training program was more effective among non-doctor healthcare providers. Therefore, non-doctors could be the target population for training in the future.

Self-assessment of attitudes towards conditions to provide safe abortion among new medical graduates in Thailand, 2018: an application of cross-sectional survey with factor analysis

“…Boonthai et al reported that these three conditions were among the most important reasons for physicians to be comfortable with performing abortions [17]. A recent study by Sanitya et al also pointed in the same direction [18].…”

“…Another study was carried out in. The study found that proper training in medical schools had positive impact on the attitudes to incorporate abortion practice among new medical graduates [ 18 ].…”

Induced abortion in Papua‐New Guinea: Experience and opinions of health professionals

“…In contrast, findings from a recent descriptive study among healthcare providers in Thailand showed that nurses and supporting staff could be potential target groups for further training. 17 The evidence from this study indicated that following the implementation of a training program, healthcare providers' attitudes toward unplanned pregnancies and unsafe abortions became significantly more positive.…”

Factors influencing parental decisions to terminate pregnancies following prenatal diagnoses of major fetal anomalies at a single university hospital in Thailand

“…Thai Penal Code 305 and Thai Medical Council Regulation 2005 permit legal abortions for pregnant women experiencing severe stress from the risk of having a fetus with severe anomalies and/or genetic disorders as determined by a quali ed physician [3]. Safe abortions are promoted for these women and are covered by national health insurance.…”