Characteristics of clients seeking first- and second-trimester terminations of pregnancy in public health facilities in Cape Town.

摘要

Across South Africa over 20% of terminations of pregnancy (TOPs) are of a gestational age greater than 12 completed weeks. This is considerably higher than in other countries with legalised abortion. Reducing the proportion of second-trimester TOPs by ensuring that women access first-trimester abortions has several advantages, viz. decreased risk of complications, decreased cost to health services, and increased feasibility of TOP becoming a predominantly primary-level, nurse-provided service. We conducted a survey to identify characteristics of second- versus first-trimester TOP clients at three public health facilities in Cape Town, full details of which have recently been published in the South African Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.