Clandestine abortion in Latin America: A clinic profile

Context: Most research on abortion in Latin America has focused on women wh o are hospitalized with abortion complications, but little is known about t he characteristics of women who are able to obtain clandestine procedures p erformed by trained personnel working in sanitary conditions. Methods: Analysis of medical records for 808 clients of an urban clandestin e abortion service in South America was supplemented with observation of cl inic operations for six weeks in 1995. Results: Nearly nine in 10 clients had at least a secondary education, abou t three-quarters were younger than 30 and a similar proportion were unmarri ed. Fifty-four percent had never given birth, and 13% had had at least one prior abortion. Three-fifths of women had not been using a contraceptive me thod when they conceived; among users, three-fifths had been using a tradit ional method. Three percent experienced mild complications related to the p rocedure (e.g., heavy bleeding or pelvic pain), and another 2% reported ser ious complications (e.g., pelvic infection, hemorrhage or suspected uterine perforation). Conclusions: To reduce the need for abortion, it is important for family pl anning programs to include women who are young, unmarried and highly educat ed in their outreach efforts.