Women's and Healthcare Workers' Beliefs and Experiences Surrounding Abortion: The Case of Haiti.
Laura Dean Albuja, Rosina Cianelli, Debbie Anglade and 4 others
PMID 28146335WHAT IT FOUND
Women and healthcare workers in Haiti described abortion as secret and unsafe, linked to stigma, economics, and illegality.
They named hemorrhage, infection, and death from herbs, pills, and nonsterile methods.
Key findings
01Participants described abortion as secret and unsafe, linked to stigma, illegality, and economic pressure.
02Unsafe abortions were described as performed by women themselves or charlatans using herbal potions, pills not intended for abortion, or nonsterile instruments.
03Reported complications included hemorrhage, infection from fetal remains, sepsis, uterine perforation, infertility, and death.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Participants were recruited by convenience sampling from a few communities in southern Haiti, so their views may not represent all Haitian women or healthcare workers. The study describes beliefs and experiences from focus groups, not measured incidence, treatment effects, or patient outcomes. Because abortion is illegal and stigmatized, participants may have underreported or distorted their own experiences or others' experiences. Some participants were healthcare workers, so parts of the data reflect professional views rather than direct patient experience. The facilitator was a Haitian nurse and member of the research team, so the focus groups were not fully independent of the research team.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these focus group themes as evidence that unsafe abortion is common in all populations or that any intervention will reduce complications. The study describes beliefs and experiences among a convenience sample, not measured incidence or outcomes.