Refugee and Internally Displaced Women's Abortion Knowledge,
                    Attitudes and Practices: Addressing the Lack of Research in Low- and
                    Middle-Income Countries

Erhardt‐Ohren, Blake; Lewinger, Sarah

doi:10.1363/46e1120

Cited by 8 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 0 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“… 20 Furthermore, about 97% of unsafe abortions take place in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where humanitarian emergencies are more likely to occur. 21 Additionally, LMICs are more likely to have restrictive abortion laws, leaving those who need to terminate a pregnancy with a high unmet need for comprehensive abortion and post-abortion services. 21 Systematic reviews also evidence non-systematic implementation of the MISP related to abortion, contraception, and adolescents’ health in humanitarian settings.…”

Section: Sexual and Reproductive Health And Abortion Access In Venezu...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Safe abortion within the Venezuelan complex humanitarian emergency: understanding context as key to identifying the potential for digital self-care tools in expanding access

Luigi-Bravo

Gill

2022

Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Section: Sexual and Reproductive Health And Abortion Access In Venezu...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Safe abortion within the Venezuelan complex humanitarian emergency: understanding context as key to identifying the potential for digital self-care tools in expanding access

Luigi-Bravo

Gill

2022

Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

“…In addition, women in fragile and conflict-affected settings are at higher risks of sexual violence and engagement in transactional sex. They are also more likely to experience disruption of contraceptive and safe abortion care services provision, exposing them to an increased risk of unwanted pregnancy and unsafe abortion [ 9 , 13 , 14 ]. This increase in exposure to unsafe abortion together with the lack of access to or delays in accessing post-abortion care may increase the magnitude and severity of abortion-related complications [ 15 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

High severity of abortion complications in fragile and conflict-affected settings: a cross-sectional study in two referral hospitals in sub-Saharan Africa (AMoCo study)

Pasquier

Owolabi

Fetters³

et al. 2023

BMC Pregnancy Childbirth

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background Abortion-related complications are one of the five main causes of maternal mortality. However, research about abortion is very limited in fragile and conflict-affected settings. Our study aims to describe the magnitude and severity of abortion-related complications in two referral hospitals supported by Médecins Sans Frontières and located in such settings in northern Nigeria and Central African Republic (CAR). Methods We used a methodology similar to the World Health Organization (WHO) near-miss approach adapted in the WHO multi-country study on abortion (WHO-MCS-A). We conducted a cross-sectional study in the two hospitals providing comprehensive emergency obstetric care. We used prospective medical records’ reviews of women presenting with abortion-related complications between November 2019 and July 2021. We used descriptive analysis and categorized complications into four mutually exclusive categories of increasing severity. Results We analyzed data from 520 and 548 women respectively in Nigerian and CAR hospitals. Abortion complications represented 4.2% (Nigerian hospital) and 19.9% (CAR hospital) of all pregnancy-related admissions. The severity of abortion complications was high: 103 (19.8%) and 34 (6.2%) women were classified as having severe maternal outcomes (near-miss cases and deaths), 245 (47.1%) and 244 (44.5%) potentially life-threatening, 39 (7.5%) and 93 (17.0%) moderate, and 133 (25.6%) and 177 (32.3%) mild complications, respectively in Nigerian and CAR hospitals. Severe bleeding/hemorrhage was the main type of complication in both settings (71.9% in the Nigerian hospital, 57.8% in the CAR hospital), followed by infection (18.7% in the Nigerian hospital, 27.0% in the CAR hospital). Among the 146 women (Nigerian hospital) and 231 women (CAR hospital) who did not report severe bleeding or hemorrhage before or during admission, anemia was more frequent in the Nigerian hospital (66.7%) compared to the CAR hospital (37.6%). Conclusion Our data suggests high severity of abortion-related complications in these two referral facilities of fragile and conflict-affected settings. Factors that could contribute to this high severity in these contexts include greater delays in accessing post-abortion care, decreased access to contraceptive and safe abortion care that result in increased unsafe abortions; as well as increased food insecurity leading to iron-deficiencies and chronic anaemia. The results highlight the need for better access to safe abortion care, contraception, and high quality postabortion care to prevent and manage complications of abortion in fragile and conflict-affected settings.

show abstract

“…This rate has significantly increased among SR women after they were displaced to Lebanon. Such results raise a huge concern on the actual cause of these abortions, which may be due to limited access to antenatal care, or limited access to contraceptives, or due to experiencing high levels of sexual violence, especially after their displacements [29]. Studies reported higher percentage of miscarriage (23%) among SR women in Turkey [30,31].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reproductive health of Syrian refugee women in Lebanon: a descriptive analysis of the Sijilli electronic health records database

et al. 2023

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background The Syrian conflict has been responsible for the highest exodus of refugees, with Lebanon hosting the greatest number of refugees per capita, which placed a significant strain on an already overburdened healthcare system. Women are the most vulnerable group in times of conflict and displacement, with sexual and reproductive health and rights often neglected. This study focuses on the obstetric characteristics and pregnancy outcomes of Syrian Refugee (SR) women in Lebanon, in Comparison to their pre-displacement data. Methods This study is a secondary analysis of de-identified data from the Sijilli database. The data reported and analyzed were the refugees’ socio-demographics, obstetric history, pregnancy outcomes, experienced maternal and neonatal complications, breastfeeding history and duration, and contraception use and types. Data were reported in both frequencies and means/medians. Chi-square test, t-test, and ANOVA tests were used to compare pregnancies in Syria to those that happened in Lebanon. Results A total of 1065 female records were included in this study, with 634 ever-pregnant women and the total number of pregnancies being 3272. SR women were shown to get pregnant in Lebanon at a younger age compared to cases in Syria. The number of gravidities is equal in women who got pregnant in Syria and those who moved later to Lebanon. The mean spacing between pregnancies has decreased comparing SR women who got pregnant in Syria only versus those who got pregnant in Lebanon only. Among the mixed group, the mean spacing between pregnancies as well as the prevalence of spontaneous abortions significantly increased after displacing to Lebanon. C-section rate was higher among SR women after moving to Lebanon. Also, maternal complications and not breastfeeding have increased after moving to Lebanon. A prior pregnancy was significantly associated with higher contraception use rate. The most common methods of contraception were oral contraceptive pills and intra-uterine devices. Conclusion The C-section deliveries, spontaneous abortions and maternal complications have all increased among SR women after being displaced to Lebanon. While the age at first pregnancy, mean spacing between their pregnancies and breastfeeding rates have decreased after moving to Lebanon. SR women are less likely to use contraceptives after their displacement. It is necessary to address access to reproductive healthcare and antenatal care delivery among displaced refugee women living in informal tented settlements.

show abstract

Refugee and Internally Displaced Women's Abortion Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices: Addressing the Lack of Research in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

Cited by 8 publications

References 0 publications

Safe abortion within the Venezuelan complex humanitarian emergency: understanding context as key to identifying the potential for digital self-care tools in expanding access

Safe abortion within the Venezuelan complex humanitarian emergency: understanding context as key to identifying the potential for digital self-care tools in expanding access

High severity of abortion complications in fragile and conflict-affected settings: a cross-sectional study in two referral hospitals in sub-Saharan Africa (AMoCo study)

Reproductive health of Syrian refugee women in Lebanon: a descriptive analysis of the Sijilli electronic health records database

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About