A qualitative exploration of how the COVID-19 pandemic shaped experiences of self-managed medication abortion with accompaniment group support in Argentina, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Venezuela

Bercu, C (通讯作者),Ibis Reprod Hlth, Oakland, CA 94609 USA.
2022-12-31
Globally, people self-manage their medication abortions without clinical assistance. Feminist activist collectives (accompaniment groups) support people through self-managed abortion with evidence-based guidance. We sought to understand the impact of COVID-19 and related restrictions on the need for and experiences of self-managed abortion with accompaniment support across varied legal and social contexts. Between May and October 2020, we conducted in-depth interviews with individuals who self-managed abortions with support from accompaniment groups during the pandemic in Argentina, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Venezuela. We conducted a thematic analysis to understand the impact of COVID-19 on participants' experiences with accompanied self-managed abortions. Across 43 in-depth interviews, participants in all four countries described how the COVID-19 pandemic created challenges at each step of their abortion process, from confirming the pregnancy, accessing abortion pills, finding a private, comfortable place, and verifying abortion completion. For most people, conditions related to the pandemic made it harder to self-manage an abortion; for a minority, being at home made aspects of the experience somewhat easier. Nonetheless, all participants reported feeling supported by accompaniment groups, and COVID-19 and related lockdowns reinforced their preference for accompaniment-supported self-managed abortion. These findings highlight the essential role that accompaniment groups play in ensuring access to high-quality abortion care in a multiplicity of settings, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Efforts are needed to expand the reach of accompaniment groups to increase access to the high-quality abortion support they provide, filling a critical gap left by health systems and legal infrastructure.
SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH MATTERS
卷号:30|期号:1
收录类别:SSCI
语种
英语
资助机构
David and Lucile Packard Foundation(The David & Lucile Packard Foundation)
资助信息
This work was supported by the David and Lucile Packard Foundation.
被引频次(WOS)
0
被引频次(其他)
0
180天使用计数
0
2013以来使用计数
2
EISSN
2641-0397
出版年
2022-12-31
DOI
10.1080/26410397.2022.2079808
WOS学科分类
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
学科领域
循证公共卫生
关键词
self-managed abortion medication abortion accompaniment feminism COVID-19 pandemic Argentina Indonesia Nigeria Venezuela