Abstract
Introduction
Although Canada decriminalized abortion in 1988, significant disparities in access
to services and an uneven geographic distribution of providers persists. Health Canada
registered mifepristone, the gold standard of medication abortion, in July 2015. Our
study explored Canadian women's knowledge of, interest in, and perspectives on mifepristone
prior to registration.
Methods
From November 2012 through July 2015 we conducted in-depth interviews with 174 Anglophone
and Francophone women from Alberta, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Ontario, and Quebec about
their abortion experiences and their opinions about medication abortion. We purposively
recruited participants from different age cohorts and different regions within each
study province to explore a range of perspectives. We analyzed these interviews for
content and themes related to mifepristone using both deductive and inductive analytic
techniques.
Results
The overwhelming majority of participants had no knowledge of mifepristone at the
time of the interview. However, after providing a brief description of an evidence-based
mifepristone/misoprostol regimen, more than half of the participants reported that
they would have considered this method had it been available at the time of their
abortion and most would have been comfortable receiving medication abortion care from
a family physician or nurse practitioner. Most women supported the approval of mifepristone
and felt Canadian women would benefit from having more options for early pregnancy
termination.
Conclusion
Although knowledge of mifepristone among recent abortion patients was low, considerable
interest in medication abortion exists. Expanding awareness-raising efforts and supporting
the approval of evidence-based regimens and provision of mifepristone appears warranted.
Implications
The approval and introduction of mifepristone for early abortion in Canada promises
to increase options and access. Creating tailored and culturally and contextually
resonant messages about mifepristone is of high priority. Promoting evidence-based
protocols and the inclusion of a full range of qualified professionals in service
provision is also warranted.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: April 25, 2016
Accepted:
April 15,
2016
Received in revised form:
April 15,
2016
Received:
March 10,
2016
Footnotes
☆Acknowledgements: Dr. Foster's Endowed Chair in Women's Health Research is funded by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care in Ontario and we appreciate the general support for her time that made this project possible. We also received support for this project through a Faculty of Health Sciences Research Development Program grant and a grant from the Consortium national de formation en santé (CNFS) - Volet Université d'Ottawa. The conclusions and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the organizations with which the authors are affiliated or the funders.
☆☆Conflicts of interest: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise.
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© 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
