Unsafe abortion and postabortion care in Zimbabwe: community perspectives.

This research aims to explore the role of communities in the prevention of unsafe abortion and provision of client-oriented postabortion care (PAC) in Zimbabwe. The researchers employed methods of social theater to promote community dialogue and document community perspectives. The first phase of this project sensitizes the communities to the problems of unsafe abortion and motivates community action which is then followed by measuring the impact of the social theater intervention in mobilizing community action. After the presentation key interviews with community members yielded the following information: prevalent community knowledge about unsafe abortion; common abortion sources and methods; and health-seeking behavior for abortion complications and PAC services. With respondents acknowledgement that abortion and unwanted pregnancy have negative effects on the community members cited several recommendations to encourage better community dialogue and mobilization to prevent and eventually eradicate unsafe abortion and provide PAC services. Likewise policy implications of these findings suggest three key strategies: 1) listening 2) educating and 3) establishing partnership with the community.