Sex, a one mans show : Perceptions and experience of sexuality, contraceptives, unwanted pregnancy and unsafe abortion among young people in Kisumu, Kenya – A qualitative study

This study aimed to explore perceptions and experiences concerning sexuality, contraceptives, unwanted pregnancy and unsafe abortion among young people in Kisumu, Kenya. The design of the study was inductive with a qualitative approach using personal in-depth interviews. Eight participants (four female and four male) were asked to describe their perceptions and experience concerning sexuality, contraceptives, unwanted pregnancies and unsafe abortion. The result showed that culture and norms, misconceptions and gender based power in sexuality are factors that impact Sexual Reproductive Health among young people in Kisumu today. Unwanted pregnancy was described as a shame, a burden and a destroyed life which lead to many unsafely induced abortions. The findings indicate that youth interventions are important, such as engaging young men in unwanted pregnancy and thus unsafe abortions and to empower young women.

Mammors upplevelse av att drabbas av HELLP syndrom och samtidigt mista sitt väntade barn : En kvalitativ fallstudie

Bakgrund: Det finns begränsad kunskap om hur mammor upplever att drabbas av HELLP syndrom och samtidigt mista sitt väntade barn. Ytterligare kunskap kan bidra till ökad förståelse och leda till bättre vård. Syfte: Att beskriva mammors upplevelser av att drabbas av HELLP syndrom och samtidigt mista sitt väntade barn. Metod: En kvalitativ fallstudie med djupintervjuer som analyserades genom kvalitativ innehållsanalys. Resultat: Studien påvisade det kaos och den overklighetskänsla mammorna upplevde då insjuknandet och händelserna skedde i snabb takt. Det fanns ingen tid för reflektion, tillståndet var livshotande och en katastrofkänsla uppstod. Temat overkligt kaos formades. De svårt sjuka mammorna klarade inte att delta vid första omvårdnaden av sitt döda barn men kunde under vårdtiden vara tillsammans med barnet vid flera tillfällen vilket gav känslor av både glädje och sorg. Mammorna upplevde restsymtom av HELLP syndrom ett halvår efter händelsen. Slutsatser: Det snabba insjuknandet och händelseförloppet resulterade i ett overkligt kaos för mammorna. Det är viktigt att vårdpersonalen är tydliga i sin kommunikation och hela tiden närvarande hos mamman. Barnmorskan har en central roll i att hjälpa mammorna att möta och vara nära sitt döda barn så mycket som möjligt.

Does mode of follow-up influence contraceptive use after medical abortion in a low-resource setting? Secondary outcome analysis of a non-inferiority randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND: Post-abortion contraceptive use in India is low and the use of modern methods of contraception is rare, especially in rural areas. This study primarily compares contraceptive use among women whose abortion outcome was assessed in-clinic with women who assessed their abortion outcome at home, in a low-resource, primary health care setting. Moreover, it investigates how background characteristics and abortion service provision influences contraceptive use post-abortion. METHODS: A randomized controlled, non-inferiority, trial (RCT) compared clinic follow-up with home-assessment of abortion outcome at 2 weeks post-abortion. Additionally, contraceptive-use at 3 months post-abortion was investigated through a cross-sectional follow-up interview with a largely urban sub-sample of women from the RCT. Women seeking abortion with a gestational age of up to 9 weeks and who agreed to a 2-week follow-up were included (n = 731). Women with known contraindications to medical abortions, Hb < 85 mg/l and aged below 18 were excluded. Data were collected between April 2013 and August 2014 in six primary health-care clinics in Rajasthan. A computerised random number generator created the randomisation sequence (1:1) in blocks of six. Contraceptive use was measured at 2 weeks among women successfully followed-up (n = 623) and 3 months in the sub-set of women who were included if they were recruited at one of the urban study sites, owned a phone and agreed to a 3-month follow-up (n = 114). RESULTS: There were no differences between contraceptive use and continuation between study groups at 3 months (76 % clinic follow-up, 77 % home-assessment), however women in the clinic follow-up group were most likely to adopt a contraceptive method at 2 weeks (62 ± 12 %), while women in the home-assessment group were most likely to adopt a method after next menstruation (60 ± 13 %). Fifty-two per cent of women who initiated a method at 2 weeks chose the 3-month injection or the copper intrauterine device. Only 4 % of women preferred sterilization. Caste, educational attainment, or type of residence did not influence contraceptive use. CONCLUSIONS: Simplified follow-up after early medical abortion will not change women's opportunities to access contraception in a low-resource setting, if contraceptive services are provided as intra-abortion services as early as on day one. Women's postabortion contraceptive use at 3 months is unlikely to be affected by mode of followup after medical abortion, also in a low-resource setting. Clinical guidelines need to encourage intra-abortion contraception, offering the full spectrum of evidence-based methods, especially long-acting reversible methods. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov NCT01827995.