" No one should be alone in living this process " : trajectories, experiences and user's perceptions about quality of abortion care in a telehealth service in Chile
Larrea, Sara (Universitat Pompeu Fabra)
Hidalgo, Camila (Universidad de Chile)
Jacques-Aviñó, Constanza (Institut Universitari d'Investigació en Atenció Primària Jordi Gol)
Borrell i Thió, Carme (Universitat Pompeu Fabra)
Palència, Laia (Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau)
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona

Date:	2021
Abstract:	Self-managed abortion is a common self-care practice that enables pregnant people to exercise their rights to health, bodily autonomy and to benefit from the advances of science even when living in contexts that do not guarantee these rights. In this interpretative qualitative study, we aimed to understand women's abortion trajectories, experiences with self-managed abortion and assessments of the quality of care provided by Women Help Women (WHW, an international activist non-profit organisation working on abortion access). Grounded in feminist epistemology and health inequalities approaches, we conducted eleven semi-structured interviews in Santiago, Chile. We found that illegality, stigma and expectations surrounding motherhood and abortion determined women's experiences. Participants perceived the WHW service as good, trustworthy, fast and affordable, and valued confidentiality and privacy; the quantity and quality of information; having direct, personalised and timely communication with service staff; being treated with respect; and feeling safe, cared for and supported in their decisions. Most participants considered self-managed abortion appropriate and acceptable given their circumstances. Fear was the dominant feeling in women's narratives. Some participants mentioned missing instant communication, in-person support and professional care. We conclude that support, information and company are key to improving abortion seekers' experiences and enabling their decisions, particularly in legally restrictive settings. Centring care in pregnant people's needs and autonomy is fundamental to ensure safe, appropriate and accessible self-care interventions in reproductive health. Social and legal changes, such as public funding for abortion, destigmatisation and decriminalisation, are needed to realise people's right to higher standards of healthcare.
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, sempre que no sigui amb finalitats comercials, i sempre que es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Subject:	Quality of care ; Telehealth ; Abortion ; Self-managed abortion ; Misoprostol ; Mifepristone ; Qualitative evaluation ; Feminism
Published in:	Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters, Vol. 29 (july 2021) , ISSN 2641-0397

DOI: 10.1080/26410397.2021.1948953
PMID: 34252017

13 p, 583.6 KB

The record appears in these collections:
Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Health sciences and biosciences > Institut d'Investigació en Ciencies de la Salut Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP)
Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Health sciences and biosciences > Institut de Recerca Sant Pau
Articles > Research articles
Articles > Published articles