The main objective of this study is to analyze women's decision making processes regarding an unintended pregnancy in order to improve the counseling (in abortion and reproductive health clinics) for these women.
ID
Source
Brief title
Condition
- Abortions and stillbirth
Synonym
Research involving
Sponsors and support
Intervention
Outcome measures
Primary outcome
- Reasons for induced abortion or continuation of pregnancy
- Indicators of doubt during the decision-making process regarding the
unintended pregnancy. These indicators may be based on switching between
options, ambivalent reasons/considerations, ambivalent feelings and thoughts,
explicitly stated doubts, verbal expressions of regret afterwards.
- Women's doubts regarding their decision as noted by abortion doctors and FIOM
counselors.
Secondary outcome
Psychosocial functioning (these variables will be assessed in the related study
'Abortion, mental health and wellbeing: A cohort study' (title in Dutch:
Psychosociale gevolgen van abortus). For a detailed description of these
measures, see the protocol of the related study with registration number
NL3055.097.09.
Background summary
At present, remarkably little is known about women's decision making processes
regarding an unintented pregnancy: how do these women decide to have an
abortion or to carry their pregancy to term? Previous research has indicated
that doubts in the decision-making process regarding induced abortion may
enhance the risk for impaired psychosocial functioning on the longer term.
Therefore, it is important to gain more insight into decision-making processes
of women confronted with an unintented pregnancy, by indexing underlying
reasons, considerations, doubts and ambivalent feelings/thoughts thoroughly.
Further, it is important to examine whether abortion doctors perceive/recognize
women's doubts regarding the abortion as they play a prominent role in the
decision process.
Study objective
The main objective of this study is to analyze women's decision making
processes regarding an unintended pregnancy in order to improve the counseling
(in abortion and reproductive health clinics) for these women.
Study design
Qualitative research through in-depth interviews. Women will be interviewed
about their underlying reasons for abortion or continuation of their pregnancy
and their decision-making processes regarding their unintended pregnancy.
Further, the group consisting of women who underwent an abortion, will be
subdivided on the basis of reported doubt regarding the abortion. Finally,
through analysis of the files of abortion doctors, it will be investigated
whether abortion doctors perceived/recognized potential doubts in women. These
files will be compared with the files of women who finally decided to bring
their pregnancy to term. Files of the latter group of women will be collected
from the abortion clinics as well as from the FIOM.
Study burden and risks
Participating women will have one in-depth interview with a duration of one to
two hours. Talking about the abortion may pose a burden on women. To minimalize
the burden, interviewers will be trained to interview the women in an empathic,
respectful, and nonjudgemental way.
Postbus 80140
3508 TC Utrecht
NL
Postbus 80140
3508 TC Utrecht
NL
Listed location countries
Age
Inclusion criteria
Inclusion criteria for all women are: 1) living in the Netherlands; 2) aged between 18-44.
Further, women who underwent an abortion (approximately 3 to 6 weeks prior to the in-depth interview) in one of the participating abortion clinics are invited for participation as well as women who decided to stay pregnant after their initial visit to the abortion clinic or to the FIOM.
Exclusion criteria
Women will be excluded from participation if: 1) abortion was on medical grounds (embryonal or foetal abnormalities or health risks for the mother); 2) women's ability to express themselves in the Dutch language is insufficient; 3) cognitively not able to be interviewed
Design
Recruitment
Followed up by the following (possibly more current) registration
No registrations found.
Other (possibly less up-to-date) registrations in this register
No registrations found.
In other registers
| Register | ID |
|---|---|
| CCMO | NL32869.097.10 |