Postabortion care to avert future abortions.

This paper presents the Pathfinder Internationals postabortion care (PAC) activities which comprise three components: treatment of incomplete abortion complications provision of postabortion family planning (FP) and linkage with ongoing reproductive health services. Findings of a survey indicate that lack of effective accessible and acceptable FP services is the most obvious failure leading to unsafe abortions. Human and financial costs of abortions are enormous thus it is essential to reduce the rate of abortion and prevent maternal deaths caused by unsafe abortion. In addition a high incidence of repeat abortions was seen in some of the countries suggesting a rapid return of fertility following abortion. Hence there is a need to provide immediate postabortion FP counseling and contraceptive methods. Overall evaluation of PAC activities indicate a substantial increase in the percentage of women receiving a method of postabortion FP. Moreover it is recommended that the complementary roles of postpartum and postabortion FP be combined with the other elements of PAC services to amplify its total effect on maternal health.