Acceptability and clinical outcomes of first- and second-trimester surgical abortion by suction aspiration in Colombia

Meaning of having to cope with voluntary termination of late pregnancy in women undergoing the procedure in healthcare institutions of two Colombian cities

Objectives

As part of sexual and reproductive health, abortion is a woman’s right in Colombia. However, not all the members of Colombian society recognize this right. The aim of this work is to understand the transformation of meanings after having to cope with voluntary termination of late pregnancy in women living in Colombia, as well as their interaction with family and friends and the health system.

Material and methods

Hermeneutic research undertaken within a constructivist paradigm and analyzed from a feminist perspective using grounded theory techniques: coding, categorization and constant comparison. Nineteen semi-structured interviews were conducted among 18 women living in Colombia who underwent voluntary termination of late pregnancy defined as more than 20 weeks of gestation, accompanied by feticide and labor induction, in two Colombian cities between 2016 and 2020. Besides, two focus groups were conducted, one with some of the interviewees and another with feminist experts in order to cross-reference the information derived from the research process and delve deeper into the findings.

Results

Women attached a negative and opposite meaning to voluntary termination of pregnancy, but once they found themselves in a situation that forced them to put an end to gestation, they transgressed their own meanings and those of society to find justifications to help them uphold their decision. This confrontation brought them to a place of profound and intimate reflection and led them to transform their lives.

Conclusions

Meanings regarding abortion in women who undergo late pregnancy termination are usually contrary to this right in sexual and reproductive health. After the event, these meanings become transformed through a process of conscious reflection as women come face-to-face with their own meanings and those of society.

Delays and barriers to care in Colombia among women obtaining legal first- and second-trimester abortion

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate delays before first- or second-trimester legal abortion and barriers to care in Colombia.

METHODS

A secondary analysis was undertaken of data from a prospective cohort study of women undergoing first-trimester (<12 weeks) and second-trimester (12-15 weeks) abortion between February and July 2012. Participants (aged ≥18 years with access to a telephone) reported key dates in their abortion process and barriers to care. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed.

RESULTS

Overall, 100 women in the first trimester and 200 in the second trimester were included. Second-trimester clients experienced longer delays in each step of the abortion process than did first-trimester clients (P<0.001 for all three intervals examined), with the largest delay being time to suspicion of pregnancy (37 days vs 17 days). Difficulty accessing care was associated with the second trimester (odds ratio 5.1, 95% CI 2.9-9.1) and low socioeconomic status (odds ratio 2.3, 95% CI 1.2-4.3). Financial barriers were the most common (30 [30.0%] first-trimester clients; 86 [43.0%] second-trimester clients).

CONCLUSION

Despite partial decriminalization of abortion in 2006, Colombian women still face barriers to legal services that probably contribute to late presentation. Interventions promoting early pregnancy recognition and information about how to access legal abortion could reduce the need for second-trimester services.