From the shadows to light. Perceptions of women and healthcare providers of post-abortion care in Burkina Faso.

Social Science & Medicine
Ramatou Ouedraogo, Kenneth Juma

Abstract

Despite political commitments to address maternal deaths due to abortion, women and girls in Burkina Faso still face impediments to accessing post-abortion care (PAC) services, including stigma, high costs, and negative patient-provider relationships. Based on a three-year ethnographic study in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso (2011-2014), this paper provides an in-depth examination of the experiences and perceptions of patients and healthcare providers when seeking or delivering PAC. Extensive participant observation of PAC service delivery was carried out in five primary and three referral health facilities, as well as in-depth interviews with 13 healthcare providers and 39 patients. Data were analyzed using a thematic analysis approach and discussed using relevant literature. Patients and providers conceptualized PAC as literally "womb washing'', vividly reflecting on the realities around health risks of abortion, procreation and role of health providers. Moreover, women described PAC as a life-saving intervention capable of averting infections and other complications, but also bears significant risks of disclosure depending on the uterine evacuation technology used (manual vacuum aspiration versus medical abortion). In delivering ...Continue Reading

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