Estimating abortion prevalence and understanding perspectives of community leaders and providers: Results from a mixed-method study in Istanbul, Turkey

Autor: Sarah Huber-Krum, Duygu Karadon, Sebahat Kurutas, Julia Rohr, Simay Sevval Baykal, Bahar Ayca Okcuoglu, Yilmaz Esmer, David Canning, Iqbal Shah
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2020
Předmět:
Zdroj: Women's Health, Vol 16 (2020)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 1745-5065
17455065
DOI: 10.1177/1745506520953353
Popis: Objectives: Abortions are difficult to measure; yet, accurate estimates are critical in developing health programs. We implemented and tested the validity of a list experiment of lifetime abortion prevalence in Istanbul, Turkey. We complemented our findings by understanding community perspectives using in-depth interviews with key informants. Methods: We conducted a household survey between March and June 2018. In a random sample of 4040 married women aged 16–44 years, we implemented a double list experiment. We averaged difference in mean values calculations between the average counts for each list to provide an estimated lifetime abortion prevalence. We conducted in-depth interviews with 16 key informants to provide insights into possible explanations for the quantitative results. Results: The abortion prevalence estimate from the list experiment was close to that of the direct question (3.25% vs 2.97%). Key informant narratives suggest that differing definitions of abortion, inaccessibility, provider bias, lack of knowledge of abortion laws and safety, and religious norms could contribute to under-reporting. Results from the qualitative study suggest that abortion is largely inaccessible and highly stigmatized. Conclusion: Measuring experiences of abortion is critical to understanding women’s needs and informing harm-reduction strategies; however, in highly stigmatized settings, researchers may face unique challenges in obtaining accurate reports.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals
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