Planned pregnancy affects primigravida readiness in role transitions.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the correlation between planned pregnancy and role transition in primigravida. METHODS: The cross-sectional study was conducted at the Bandarharjo Health Centre, Semarang, Indonesia, from February to July 2022, and comprised married primigravida's regardless of trimester who had never had a miscarriage. Data was collected using the London Measure of Unplanned Pregnancy, and the Body Understanding Measure for Pregnancy Scale instruments. Data was analysed using. the software SPSS version 26. P<0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: Of the 86 subjects, 40(46.5%) were aged 17-25 years, while 34(40.7%) were aged 12-16 years. All the 86 (100%) were married, although some of them acquired pregnancy before the wedding. There were 40(46.5%) unplanned pregnancies, and 36(41.9%) participants were ready for role change compared to 18(20.9%) who were not ready to face the new role. Planned pregnancy significantly correlated with primigravida readiness for role transitions (p=0.001). CONCLUSIONS: There was a significant relationship between planned pregnancy and readiness to face the role.

Unintended Pregnancy and Abortion in the US Navy, 2016.

BACKGROUND: The unintended pregnancy rate in the US military is higher than among civilians. While 42% of unintended pregnancies end in abortion among civilian women, there are no data on the prevalence of abortion in the military overall or by service branch. OBJECTIVE: This analysis was conducted to estimate unintended pregnancy rates and the percentage of unintended pregnancies that resulted in abortion among active-duty US Navy members aged 44 years or younger reporting female gender in 2016. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey data from the 2016 Navy Pregnancy and Parenthood Survey, collected from August to November 2016. PARTICIPANTS: Our sample included 3,423 active-duty US Navy members aged 44 years or younger reporting female gender, generated from a stratified random sample of 38% of all active-duty Navy women in pay grades E2-E9 and O1-O5 in 2016; the survey had a 20% response rate for females. MAIN MEASURES: We calculated pregnancy and unintended pregnancy rates, the percentage of pregnancies that were unintended, and the percentage of unintended pregnancies resulting in birth and abortion in the prior fiscal year. KEY RESULTS: Overall, the self-reported unintended pregnancy rate was 52 per 1,000 participants and 38.1% of pregnancies were unintended. The adjusted unintended pregnancy rate accounting for abortion underreporting was 68 per 1,000 participants. Unintended pregnancy rates were highest among individuals who were younger (aged 18-24) and in enlisted pay grades, compared to their counterparts. Six percent reported their unintended pregnancy resulted in abortion. Six respondents reported becoming pregnant while deployed; none of these pregnancies resulted in abortion. CONCLUSIONS: In this first study to report on abortion prevalence among US servicemembers, we found the proportion of unintended pregnancies resulting in abortion among a sample of US Navy members in 2016 was much lower than civilians, yet unintended pregnancy rates were higher.

Remote Delivery in Reproductive Health Care: Operation of Direct-to-Patient Telehealth Medication Abortion Services in Diverse Settings.

PURPOSE: Established models of reproductive health service delivery were disrupted by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This study examines rapid innovation of remote abortion service operations across health care settings and describes the use of telehealth consultations with medications delivered directly to patients. METHODS: We conducted semi-structured interviews with 21 clinical staff from 4 practice settings: family planning clinics, online medical services, and primary care practices-independent or within multispecialty health systems. Clinicians and administrators described their telehealth abortion services. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed. Staff roles, policies, and procedures were compared across practice settings. RESULTS: Across all practice settings, telehealth abortion services consisted of 5 operational steps: patient engagement, care consultations, payment, medication dispensing, and follow-up communication. Online services and independent primary care practices used asynchronous methods to determine eligibility and complete consultations, resulting in more efficient services (2-5 minutes), while family planning and health system clinics used synchronous video encounters requiring 10-30 minutes of clinician time. Family planning and health system primary care clinics mailed medications from clinic stock or internal pharmacies, while independent primary care practices and online services often used mail-order pharmacies. Online services offered patients asynchronous follow-up; other practice settings scheduled synchronous appointments. CONCLUSIONS: Rapid innovations implemented in response to disrupted in-person reproductive health care included remote medication abortion services with telehealth assessment/follow-up and mailed medications. Though consistent operational steps were identified across health care settings, variation allowed for adaptation of services to individual sites. Understanding remote abortion service operations may facilitate dissemination of a range of patient-centered reproductive health services.Annals "Online First" article.

Contraception Practices Among Women on Opioid Agonist Therapy.

OBJECTIVE: Despite increased public awareness and use of opioid agonist therapy (OAT), there is little published data on contraception among women on methadone or buprenorphine/naloxone. This study aimed to characterize patterns of contraception use among this population. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional survey between May 2014 and October 2015 at 6 medical clinics, pharmacies, and community organizations in British Columbia. Trained surveyors used the Canadian Sexual Health Survey (CSHS) to collect information on contraceptive practices and barriers to health care access. Descriptive analysis was performed on the subset of women on OAT who were at risk for unintended pregnancy. RESULTS: Of the 133 survey respondents, 80 (60.2%) were at risk for unintended pregnancy. Among the 46 respondents with a recent pregnancy, 44 (95.7%) reported it as unintended. Of those at risk for unintended pregnancy, the most common contraceptive methods used were "no method," male condom, and depo-medroxyprogesterone at 28.8%, 16.3%, and 12.5%, respectively. Only 5% reported dual protection with a barrier and hormonal or intrauterine method. Barriers to contraception access included difficulty booking appointments with providers and cost, although 97% of all respondents reported feeling comfortable speaking with a physician about contraception. CONCLUSION: We found that most respondents using OAT reported prior pregnancies that were unintended, and used less effective contraceptive methods. Health care professionals who provide addiction care are uniquely positioned to address their patients' concerns about contraception. Incorporating family planning discussions into OAT services may improve understanding and use of effective contraceptive methods. Addressing unmet contraceptive needs may enable women on OAT to achieve their reproductive goals.

Awareness about diabetes and pregnancy among diabetes specialists and fellows: The YoSID diabetes and pregnancy project.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Despite evidence that pregnancy planning improves outcomes, in Italy, as in many other countries worldwide, <50% of women with diabetes prepare their pregnancy. The aim of this study was to document training and knowledge on diabetes and pregnancy (D&P) among diabetes professionals. METHODS AND RESULTS: We administered an anonymous online questionnaire, focused on diabetes and pregnancy planning, to diabetes team members. Between Nov-2017 and Jul-2018, n = 395 professionals (60% diabetes/endocrinology/internal medicine specialists, 28% fellows) completed the survey. Fifty-nine percent of the specialists, mainly (78%) those completing their fellowship after 2006, reported having received training on D&P during fellowship. Considering specialists reporting training, 43% correctly identified fetal risks of inadequate preconceptional glucose control and 55% maternal risks, 38% identified risks associated with overweight/obesity, and 39% would prescribe hormonal contraception to women with diabetes only if glucose control is good. CONCLUSIONS: The results of our survey suggest the need to improve training and awareness of professionals in the area of diabetes and pregnancy.

Fertility treatment and oral contraceptive discontinuation for identification of pregnancy planning in routinely collected health data - an application to analgesic and antibiotic utilisation.

BACKGROUND: Women with unplanned pregnancies use folic acid less frequently, and more often use potentially teratogenic medications in the first trimester. Yet most studies based on routinely collected data lack information on pregnancy planning. Further, only pregnancies proceeding beyond a certain gestational age appear in routinely collected data, creating the possibility for collider-stratification bias. If pregnancy intention could be identified, pregnancies could be ascertained earlier. This study aimed to investigate fertility treatment and discontinuation of oral contraception (OC) as proxies for pregnancy planning by describing variations in patterns of prescription fills for antibiotics and analgesics during the peri-pregnancy period by these proxies of pregnancy intention. METHODS: Fertility treatment with clomiphene and discontinuation of OC were identified in the Norwegian Prescription Database (NorPD) and linked with data from the Medical Birth Registry of Norway for the years 2006 to 2017. Filled prescriptions for antibiotics and analgesics from NorPD were displayed for women on fertility treatment, women who discontinued OC before pregnancy, and women who discontinued during pregnancy. RESULTS: Of 172,585 included pregnancies, fertility treatment was identified in 19,449, and OC discontinuation before or during pregnancy in 153,136. Women who discontinued OC during pregnancy were less likely to use preconception folic acid (25.4%) than women who discontinued before pregnancy (32.9%), and women on fertility treatment (51.0%). Proportions of first trimester prescription fills were 4.9% (analgesics) and 12.8% (antibiotics) for women who discontinued OC during pregnancy, compared to 4.0 and 11.4% in women who discontinued OC before pregnancy, and 4.7 and 11.0% in women on fertility treatment. CONCLUSIONS: There were no substantial differences in patterns of prescription fills for analgesics and antibiotics before or during pregnancy by fertility treatment and OC discontinuation. This suggests that there were few differences in medication use between women with planned and unplanned pregnancies, or that fertility treatment and timing of OC discontinuation from routinely collected health data cannot stand alone in the identification of unplanned pregnancies. A narrower definition of OC discontinuation during pregnancy seemed to be a better proxy, but this should be confirmed in other studies.

Underestimation of pregnancy risk among women in Vietnam.

BACKGROUND: Addressing women's inaccurate perceptions of their risk of pregnancy is crucial to improve contraceptive uptake and adherence. Few studies, though, have evaluated the factors associated with underestimation of pregnancy risk among women at risk of unintended pregnancy. METHODS: We assessed the association between demographic and behavioral characteristics and underestimating pregnancy risk among reproductive-age, sexually-active women in Hanoi, Vietnam who did not desire pregnancy and yet were not using highly-effective contraception (N = 237). We dichotomized women into those who underestimated pregnancy likelihood (i.e., 'very unlikely' they would become pregnant in the next year), and those who did not underestimate pregnancy likelihood (i.e., 'somewhat unlikely,' 'somewhat likely' or 'very likely'). We used bivariable and multivariable logistic regression models to identify correlates of underestimating pregnancy risk. RESULTS: Overall, 67.9% (n = 166) of women underestimated their pregnancy risk. In bivariable analysis, underestimation of pregnancy risk was greater among women who were older (> 30 years), who lived in a town or rural area, and who reported that it was "very important" or "important" to them to not become pregnant in the next year. In multivariable analysis, importance of avoiding pregnancy was the sole factor that remained statistically significantly associated with underestimating pregnancy risk (odds ratio [OR]: 0.11; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.05-0.25). In contrast, pregnancy risk underestimation did appear to vary by marital status, ethnicity, education or other behaviors and beliefs relating to contraceptive use. CONCLUSIONS: Findings reinforce the need to address inaccurate perceptions of pregnancy risk among women at risk of experiencing an unintended pregnancy.

Unmet family planning needs among female refugees and asylum seekers in Germany - is free access to family planning services enough? Results of a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: After the 1968 United Nations International Conference on Human Rights, access to family planning services became a human right. Such a service is of central importance to women's empowerment and is empirically needed to provide adequate healthcare. For registered refugees and asylum seekers in Germany complementary family planning services, including all forms of contraception, are free of charge. Yet, the success of these services remains unclear. The aim of this study is to describe the current reproductive health status of female refugees and to provide an initial overview of their existing unmet family planning and contraception needs. METHODS: Over the course of 2 years, from December 2015 to December 2017, a set of 50 female-only discussion groups were conducted in community shelters for registered refugees in Berlin. A total of 410 women between the ages of 14 and 74 participated. A convenience sampling strategy was then applied and a total of 307 semi-structured questionnaires covering 41 items related to demographic data and women's health were distributed to volunteering female participants over the age of 17. The statistical analysis of the questionnaires was performed using SPSS (IBM, PASW, Version 24). P-values less than or equal to 0.05 were considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Of the 307 participants, the majority were from Syria and Afghanistan (30% respectively). The mean age was 33 years (range: 18-63). On average, each woman had 2.5 births (range: 0-10). Twenty-four women (8%) were pregnant and fifty-four of the women (18%) were trying to become pregnant. The majority of women were classified as "requiring contraception" (n = 195; 63%) of which 183 gave further information on if and how they used family planning methods. The calculated unmet need for family planning in this group was 47%. Of the remaining 53% of the women who used contraception, many utilised "traditional" methods (34% withdrawal method; 8% calendar method) which have a pearl index of 4-18 and can therefore be classified as rather insufficient birth control methods. Intrauterine contraceptive devices were used by 30%. CONCLUSION: Our study revealed that despite the provision of complementary family planning services, there remains unmet family planning and education needs in the female refugee community in Berlin. This study indicates that there is a major access gap to these services. Further research needs to be carried out to evaluate the access gap and clearly identify and implement action plans to address possible causes such as language barriers, lack of childcare and traumatic experiences.

Unplanned pregnancies in New Zealand.

BACKGROUND: Unplanned pregnancies can bring risk. It is important to have an accurate count of unplanned pregnancies, but to date there is no precise number for New Zealand or Australia. AIMS: This analysis estimates the number and proportion of pregnancies in New Zealand that are unplanned. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Estimates were generated using information about unplanned births from the Growing Up in New Zealand study, combined with data on the number of births and abortions from Statistics New Zealand and estimates of miscarriages. These were further refined by age and ethnic group. RESULTS: Of an estimated 95 335 pregnancies in New Zealand in 2008, over half (53%) were unplanned. Unplanned pregnancies resulted in 24 131 births. As a percentage of all pregnancies, 25% were births from unplanned pregnancies, 19% were abortions and 8% were unplanned pregnancies that ended in miscarriage. There were a high number of unplanned pregnancies among younger women as well as among Maori and Pacific women, and a low number among women in their 30s and European women. CONCLUSIONS: Programs, policy and practice should be designed to accommodate women with unplanned pregnancies. Ensuring accessible pregnancy care such as antenatal care and abortion and making preconception care programs widely available, particularly for women with chronic health conditions, will reduce the health risk posed by unplanned pregnancies. Reducing the number of unplanned pregnancies through comprehensive sexuality education and contraception is important for those in their teens and early 20s, and continues to be important throughout the reproductive lifespan.

Prevalence of unwanted pregnancy in Iran: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Different studies show that a considerable number of pregnancies are unwanted and can have side effects on mothers'' children's and finally society's health. Accordingly, this meta-analysis study has been carried out to estimate a relatively accurate level of unwanted pregnancies in Iran. METHODS: Present studies and published documents were retrieved from Persian and English electronic databases. To increase sensitivity and to select more studies, the reference list of the published studies was checked. After studying the titles and texts of documents, repeated and irrelevant ones were excluded. Data was analyzed using STATA V.11. RESULTS: Forty-nine qualified papers were selected with a 43,061 sample size. The meta-analysis of unwanted pregnancy prevalence in Iran equals 30.6% (CI = 28.1-33.1). Also' according to the present meta-analysis' the most common contraceptive methods used by couples prior to unwanted pregnancies are as follows: pills 27.1%' withdrawal 38.6%' IUD 11.4%' injection contraceptives 2.8%' vasectomy 0.28% and no method 24.5%. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The results of meta-analysis showed that about one-third of pregnancies in Iran are unwanted and a high percent of them are among women who had used contraceptives. Therefore' it is necessary to adopt more appropriate policies on the following: education, proper pregnancy age, using contraceptive methods, men's role in family planning programs and quality promotion in family planning services.

Unintended pregnancy amongst women attending antenatal clinics at the Port Moresby General Hospital.

BACKGROUND: National survey data from Papua New Guinea (PNG) suggest that women are having almost 1.5 times the number of children they desire. Women's ability to space and limit the number of children could have a significant impact on the country's high infant and maternal mortality rates. AIM: To determine the prevalence and demographic associations of unintended pregnancy in women presenting for antenatal care to Port Moresby General Hospital. METHODS: From November 2011 to February 2012, we administered a structured questionnaire to women attending antenatal clinics covering pregnancy intention, contraceptive use and demographic information. RESULTS: Amongst the 1198 respondents, 49.4% of the pregnancies were reported as unintended with significantly higher proportions amongst women with no education or education only to primary school level (OR:1.46, CI: 1.10-1.92), unmarried women (OR:7.16, CI: 4.08-12.58), women whose first sexual encounter was under the age of 20 (OR 1.55, CI: 1.20-1.99) and women with three or more children compared to those having their first child (OR: 2.70, CI:1.86-3.93). Amongst multiparous women, a short birth interval of less than two years was significantly associated with unintended pregnancy (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Unintended pregnancy was common and occurred more frequently amongst women who already had three or more children, often leading to birth spacing of under two years. There is a need for effective programs and strategies to increase access to contraceptive information and services. Immediate provision of long-acting reversible contraceptive methods in the postnatal period could facilitate such access and reduce unplanned pregnancy amongst multiparous women.

Harnessing private sector strategies for family planning to deliver the Dual Prevention Pill, the first multipurpose prevention technology with pre-exposure prophylaxis, in an expanding HIV prevention landscape.

INTRODUCTION: The Dual Prevention Pill (DPP) combines oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) with oral contraception (OC) to prevent HIV and pregnancy. Noting the significant role played by the private sector in delivering family planning (FP) services in countries with high HIV burden, high level of private sector OC uptake, and the recent growth in self-care and technology-based private sector channels, we undertook qualitative research in Kenya, South Africa and Zimbabwe to prioritize private sector service delivery approaches for the introduction of the DPP. METHODS: Between March 2022 and February 2023, we conducted a literature review and key informant interviews with 34 donors and implementing partners, 19 government representatives, 17 private sector organizations, 13 pharmacy and drug shop representatives, and 12 telehealth agencies to assess the feasibility of DPP introduction in private sector channels. Channels were analysed thematically based on policies, level of coordination with the public sector, data systems, supply chain, need for subsidy, scalability, sustainability and geographic coverage. RESULTS: Wide geographic reach, ongoing pharmacy-administered PrEP pilots in Kenya and South Africa, and over-the-counter OC availability in Zimbabwe make pharmacies a priority for DPP delivery, in addition to private networked clinics, already trusted for FP and HIV services. In Kenya and South Africa, newer, technology-based channels such as e-pharmacies, telehealth and telemedicine are prioritized as they have rapidly grown in popularity due to nationwide accessibility, convenience and privacy. Findings are limited by a lack of standardized data on service uptake in newer channels and gaps in information on commodity pricing and willingness-to-pay for all channels. CONCLUSIONS: The private sector provides a significant proportion of FP services in countries with high HIV burden yet is an untapped delivery source for PrEP. Offering users a range of access options for the DPP in non-traditional channels that minimize stigma, enhance discretion and increase convenience could increase uptake and continuation. Preparing these channels for PrEP provision requires engagement with Ministries of Health and providers and further research on pricing and willingness-to-pay. Aligning FP and PrEP delivery to meet the needs of those who want both HIV and pregnancy prevention will facilitate integrated service delivery and eventual DPP rollout, creating a platform for the private sector introduction of multipurpose prevention technologies.

Comparison of Facebook, Google Ads, and Reddit for the Recruitment of People Who Considered but Did Not Obtain Abortion Care in the United States: Cross-sectional Survey.

BACKGROUND: In the United States, abortion access is restricted by numerous logistical, financial, social, and policy barriers. Most studies on abortion-seeking experiences in the United States have recruited participants from abortion clinics. However, clinic-based recruitment strategies fail to capture the experiences of people who consider an abortion but do not make it to an abortion clinic. Research indicates that many people search for abortion information on the web; however, web-based recruitment remains underutilized in abortion research. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to establish the feasibility of using Facebook, Google Ads, and Reddit as recruitment platforms for a study on abortion-seeking experiences in the United States. METHODS: From August to September 2018, we posted recruitment advertisements for a survey about abortion-seeking experiences through Facebook, Google Ads, and Reddit. Eligible participants were US residents aged 15-49 years who had been pregnant in the past 5 years and had considered abortion for a pregnancy in this period but did not abort. For each platform, we recorded staff time to develop advertisements and manage recruitment, as well as costs related to advertisement buys and social marketing firm support. We summarized the number of views and clicks for each advertisement where possible, and we calculated metrics related to cost per recruited participant and recruitment rate by week for each platform. We assessed differences across platforms using the chi-square and Kruskal-Wallis tests. RESULTS: Overall, study advertisements received 77,464 views in the 1-month period (from Facebook and Google; information not available for Reddit) and 2808 study page views. After clicking on the advertisements, there were 1254 initiations of the eligibility screening survey, which resulted in 98 eligible survey participants (75 recruited from Facebook, 14 from Google Ads, and 9 from Reddit). The cost for each eligible participant in each platform was US $49.48 for Facebook, US $265.93 for Google Ads, and US $182.78 for Reddit. A total of 84% (66/79) of those who screened eligible from Facebook completed the short survey compared with 73% (8/11) of those who screened eligible from Reddit and 13% (7/53) of those who screened eligible from Google Ads. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that Facebook advertisements may be the most time- and cost-effective strategy to recruit people who considered but did not obtain an abortion in the United States. Adapting and implementing Facebook-based recruitment strategies for research on abortion access could facilitate a more complete understanding of the barriers to abortion care in the United States.

Decisional conflict associated with clinicians discouraging particular contraceptive methods.

RATIONALE, AIMS, AND OBJECTIVES: Approximately 45% of pregnancies in the United States are unintended. The use of contraception reduces the risk of unintended pregnancy. The initiation of several contraceptive methods requires seeing a clinician. This study explored how clinicians' expressed preferences against particular contraceptive methods impacted participants' confidence in their method choice and perception of shared contraceptive decision making. METHODS: Eligible individuals were 18 to 45 years of age, assigned female sex at birth, English speaking, and either using or had previously used contraception. Participants completed an anonymous survey via web link on Amazon Mechanical Turk. Primary self-reported outcomes were (a) proportion of participants being discouraged from a particular contraceptive method, (b) decisional conflict, and (c) extent of shared decision making. Secondary self-reported outcomes were (a) importance of contraceptive attributes and (b) self-reported quality of care. RESULTS: Six hundred sixty-nine participants completed the survey. Most were white (74.0%), non-Hispanic (84.5%), married or cohabitating (69.4%), and nulliparous (47.2%). A total of 33.8% reported that a clinician had discouraged them from using a particular contraceptive method, most commonly because of side effects, usability, and/or method effectiveness. Effectiveness, affordability, and side effects were the self-reported most important contraceptive features. Those who were discouraged from using a method (versus those who were not) were more likely to report decisional conflict (41.2% vs 30.0%, P = .004), yet reported a higher extent of shared decision making (median: 76 vs 71; P = .03). Adjusting for age and nulliparity did not impact results, except nulliparity made the relationship between being discouraged from using a method and shared decision making no longer significant (P = .06). CONCLUSIONS: Decisional conflict might arise when clinicians discourage individuals using particular contraceptive methods. Clinicians' reasons for discouraging methods might not always align with patients' preferences. More research is needed to examine how to reduce decisional conflict and support contraceptive method selection.

Expectations for Sex without Birth Control among Young Men: Risk Factors from the USA National Survey of Reproductive and Contraceptive Knowledge.

PURPOSE: Male partner engagement in family planning can influence women's contraceptive behaviors and risk of unintended pregnancy. We identified factors associated with self-reported expectations for future contraceptive use among a nationally-representative sample of young men. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The National Survey of Reproductive and Contraceptive Knowledge asked unmarried, sexually active men (ages, 18-29 y), who were neither involved in nor trying for a pregnancy, about their likelihood of having sex without contraception in the following three months. Demographics, social factors, and contraceptive awareness and attitudes were examined for potential associations using weighted analyses. RESULTS: Of 903 men surveyed, nearly 600 were sexually active and expected to have sex in the following 3 months; nearly half (43%) reported at least some likelihood (23% slightly, 7% very, 13% extreme likely) that they would have sex without any contraception. Factors independently associated with sex without contraception included: not completing high school, not being in school full-time, not receiving sex education, limited awareness of contraceptive methods, multiple sexual partners, and friends with unintended pregnancies. CONCLUSIONS: Despite not wanting a pregnancy, many young men report they will have sex without contraception. While comprehensive sex education may increase contraceptive use, interpersonal and social factors also influence men's expected use of contraception.

Reproductive health in humanitarian settings in Lebanon and Iraq: results from four cross-sectional studies, 2014-2015.

BACKGROUND: Reproductive health is an important component of humanitarian response. Displaced women need access to family planning, antenatal care, and the presence of a skilled birth attendant at delivery. Since the beginning of the Syrian conflict in 2011, Lebanon and Iraq have been hosting large numbers of refugees, thereby straining local capacities to provide these services. In order to identify salient health needs, Médecins Sans Frontières conducted a survey in several sites hosting refugees and internally displaced persons across the region. Here we describe the reproductive health profile of Syrian refugees, Iraqi displaced persons, and vulnerable Lebanese and their use of services. METHODS: We conducted four cross-sectional surveys in 2014-2015 in two sites in Lebanon and two sites in Iraq. Depending on the site, two-stage cluster sampling or systematic sampling was intended, but non-probability methods were employed at the second stage due to implementation challenges. We collected information on overall health (including reproductive health) and demographic information from heads of households on the basis of a standardized questionnaire. Pearson chi-square tests were used to compare proportions, and generalized linear models were used to calculate odds ratios with regard to risk factors. All analyses were performed using the survey suite of commands in Stata version 14.1. RESULTS: A total of 23,604 individuals were surveyed, including 5925 women of childbearing age. Overall, it was reported that 7.5% of women were currently pregnant and 12.8% had given birth within the previous 12 months. It was reported that pregnancy was unplanned for 57% of currently pregnant women and 66.7% of women who had delivered in the previous year. A slight majority of women from both groups had accessed antenatal care at least once. Amongst women who had delivered in the previous year, 84.5% had done so with a skilled birth attendant and 22.1% had had a cesarean section. Location and head of household education were predictors of unplanned pregnancy in multivariable analysis. Head of household education was also significantly associated with higher uptake of antenatal care. CONCLUSIONS: Considering the large number of pregnant women and women having recently delivered in these settings, addressing their sexual and reproductive health needs emerges as a crucial aspect of humanitarian response. This study identified unmet needs for family planning and high cesarean section rates at all sites, suggesting both lack of access to certain services (contraception, antenatal care), but also over-recourse to cesarean section. These specific challenges can impact directly on maternal and child health and need today to be kept high on the humanitarian agenda.

Representações sociais sobre o planejamento reprodutivo entre mulheres em gravidez não planejada / Social representations of reproductive planning among women with unplanned pregnancies / Representaciones sociales sobre la planificación reproductiva de las mujeres con embarazo no planificado

Objetivo: conhecer as representações sociais sobre o planejamento reprodutivo entre mulheres em gravidez não planejada na Estratégia Saúde da Família. Método: estudo qualitativo, orientado pela Teoria das Representações Sociais, realizado com 15 gestantes, entre abril e maio de 2019. Utilizou-se a entrevista semiestruturada. Os dados foram organizados por meio do Discurso do Sujeito Coletivo, com auxílio do software DSCsoft©. Protocolo de pesquisa aprovado pelo Comitê de Ética em Pesquisa. Resultados: as representações sociais das mulheres em gravidez não planejada evidenciadas pelo Discurso do Sujeito Coletivo foram representadas por oito ideias centrais, a saber: "eu não me preveni, nem ele", "nós nos prevenimos", "eu comprava", "pegava no posto", "construir uma família", "ter esse acesso", "estou por fora" e "eu sei que é disponível". Conclusão: as representações sociais nos discursos das mulheres em gravidez não planejada estavam pautadas no desconhecimento acerca do planejamento reprodutivo, dos anticoncepcionais disponíveis e seu uso correto.

Objective: to understand the social representations of reproductive planning among women with unplanned pregnancies in the Family Health Strategy. Method: qualitative study, guided by the Theory of Social Representations, carried out with 15 pregnant women between April and May 2019. Semi-structured interviews were used. The data was organized using the Discourse of the Collective Subject, with the aid of DSCsoft© software. Research protocol approved by the Research Ethics Committee. Results: the social representations of women with unplanned pregnancies as evidenced by the Collective Subject Discourse were represented by eight central ideas, namely: "I didn't prevent myself, nor did he", "we prevented ourselves", "I would buy it", "I would get it at the health center", "build a family", "have this access", "I am not aware" and "I know it is available". Conclusion: the social representations in the women's speeches about unplanned pregnancies were based on a lack of knowledge about reproductive planning, the contraceptives available and their correct use.

Objetivo: conocer las representaciones sociales sobre la planificación reproductiva de las mujeres con embarazo no planificado en la Estrategia Salud de la Familia. Método: estudio cualitativo, basado en la Teoría de las Representaciones Sociales, realizado con 15 mujeres embarazadas, entre abril y mayo de 2019. Se utilizaron entrevistas semiestructuradas. Los datos fueron organizados mediante el Discurso del Sujeto Colectivo, con ayuda del software DSCsoft©. El protocolo de investigación fue aprobado por el Comité de Ética en Investigación. Resultados: las representaciones sociales de las mujeres con embarazo no planificado reveladas por el Discurso del Sujeto Colectivo fueron representadas por ocho ideas centrales, a saber: "yo no me cuidé y él tampoco", "nos cuidamos", "yo los compraba", "los buscaba en el centro de salud", "construir una familia", "tener acceso", "no participo" y "sé que está disponible". Conclusión: las representaciones sociales en los discursos de las mujeres con embarazo no planificado se basaron en la falta de conocimiento sobre la planificación reproductiva, en los anticonceptivos disponibles y su uso correcto.

Interrupciones voluntarias de embarazos en un Hospital Universitario de Uruguay: reporte de situación 2019-2020 / Voluntary interruption of pregnancies at the University Hospital of Uruguay: situation report 2019-2020 / Interrupções voluntárias de gravidez no Hospital Universitário de Uruguay: relatório de situação 2019-2020

Objetivo: el objetivo de este estudio es conocer el estado de situación de los procesos de las usuarias que asistieron a la policlínica de interrupción voluntaria del embarazo en el Hospital de Clínicas en un período de agosto de 2019 a agosto de 2020. Metodología y materiales: estudio descriptivo y retrospectivo, a partir de la entrevista clínica de salud mental y una ficha de uso interno utilizada para relevar el proceso de toma de decisión. En muestra de 78 usuarias se analizan variables sociodemográficas, ginecoobstétricas y asociadas al proceso de interrupción, antecedentes psicológicos y/o psiquiátricos y motivos de interrupción. Resultados: el promedio de edad es de 25 años, la mayoría en pareja y ciclo básico educativo finalizado. El promedio de edad gestacional fue de 7,36 semanas. El 81% de las mujeres no había realizado un IVE. Un 65.4% de las mujeres no tienen antecedentes psicológicos y/o psiquiátricos. No existe relación significativa entre haber realizado un IVE previamente y tener antecedentes psicológicos y/o psiquiátricos.Utilizaban anticonceptivos 78.2%. Conclusiones: la interrupción del embarazo supone una situación vital estresante para quienes la transitan, se encuentran atravesadas por múltiples motivos que inciden en la toma de decisión de interrumpir. Se infiere que la realización de uno o más procedimientos de IVE no necesariamente está relacionada con tener un antecedente psicopatológico o cursar una psicopatología al realizar el proceso. Es pertinente promover la atención focalizada en las pacientes, integrando la perspectiva de género y derechos humanos, mejorar los procesos de atención, asesoramiento en salud mental, sexual y reproductiva de las usuarias y sus acompañantes.

Objective: The objective of this study is to know the status of the processes of the users who attended the polyclinic for voluntary termination of pregnancy at the Hospital de Clínicas in a period from August 2019 to August 2020. Methodology and materials: The study used descriptive and retrospective methods based on interviews with mental health professionals and a form that was used to ask about how people make decisions. In a sample of 78 users, sociodemographic, obstetric and gynecological variables associated with the discontinuation process, psychological and/or psychiatric history and reasons for discontinuation were analyzed. Results: The average age is 25 years, most people are married and have finished their elementary education. The average gestational age was 7.36 weeks. 81% of the women had not undergone an IVE. 65.4% of women have no psychological and/or psychiatric history. There is no significant relationship between having previously performed an IVE and having a psychological and/or psychiatric history. 78.2% used contraceptives. Conclusions: The interruption of pregnancy is a stressful life situation for those who go through it; they are faced with multiple reasons that influence the decision to terminate. It is inferred that carrying out one or more IVE procedures is not necessarily related to having a psychopathological history or experiencing psychopathology when carrying out the process. It is pertinent to promote patient-focused care, integrating the gender and human rights perspective, improve care processes, and provide advice on mental, sexual, and reproductive health of users and their companions.

Objetivo: O objetivo deste estudo é conhecer a situação dos processos das usuárias que compareceram à policlínica de interrupção voluntária da gravidez do Hospital de Clínicas no período de agosto de 2019 a agosto de 2020. Metodologia e materiais: estudo descritivo e retrospectivo, baseado na entrevista clínica de saúde mental e em formulário de uso interno utilizado para levantamento do processo de tomada de decisão. Numa amostra de 78 usuárias foram analisadas variáveis ​​sociodemográficas, obstétricas e ginecológicas associadas ao processo de descontinuação, histórico psicológico e/ou psiquiátrico e motivos de descontinuação. Resultados: a idade média é de 25 anos, a maioria vive em casal e completou o ciclo educativo básico. A idade gestacional média foi de 7,36 semanas. 81% das mulheres não realizaram IVE. 65,4% das mulheres não têm antecedentes psicológicos e/ou psiquiátricos. Não há relação significativa entre ter realizado EIV anteriormente e ter antecedentes psicológicos e/ou psiquiátricos, 78,2% faziam uso de anticoncepcional. Conclusões: a interrupção da gravidez é uma situação estressante de vida para quem passa por ela, pois se deparam com múltiplos motivos que influenciam na decisão de interrompê-la. Infere-se que a realização de um ou mais procedimentos de IVE não está necessariamente relacionada a ter histórico psicopatológico, ou vivenciar psicopatologia na realização do processo. É pertinente promover cuidados centrados no paciente, integrando a perspectiva de gênero e direitos humanos, melhorar os processos de cuidados e aconselhamento sobre saúde mental, sexual e reprodutiva dos utentes e dos seus acompanhantes.

Questionnaire on the Midwives' Knowledge About Oral Emergency Contraception.

The aim of the study was to assess the level of knowledge of midwives working in different clinical settings about oral emergency contraception. The study included 225 midwives; during the period from December 2015 to February 2016, they completed a 16-item web-based survey using the SurveyMonkey software available on the Croatian Midwives Chamber site. In total 277 participants started to fill out the survey and 225 participants responded to all 16 questions. Demographic, educational and professional characteristics of the participants in this survey are provided. Distri-bution of participant responses to questions regarding basic reproductive endocrinology, unplanned pregnancies and emergency contraception clearly revealed important gaps in the group knowledge. There was evident gap in the knowledge about emergency contraception in the study group of Croa-tian midwives. Having in mind the study group grounds in gynecology and obstetrics, and their public health relevance, targeted educational activities both during midwife formal education and on-job are required to improve the group knowledge about emergency contraception. National guidelines on oral emergency contraception are an at hand learning tool and the most appropriate local source of information on emergency contraception. Various initiatives should be considered for this document to become an integral part of formal midwife education and regular part of their on-job trainings.

Why are pediatricians uncomfortable with prescribing emergency contraception for adolescents? / Por que os pediatras têm desconforto para prescrever contracepção de emergência para adolescentes?

Abstract Objective: Emergency contraception (EC) is an effective and safe method for preventing unplanned pregnancy after unprotected sexual intercourse among adolescents but is infrequently prescribed by pediatricians. Because of the scarcity of data on the discomfort with EC prescription among physicians in Brazil, this study aimed to identify associated factors with discomfort with EC prescription among pediatricians in the state of Amazonas. Methods: A web-based, cross-sectional study including sociodemographic data, knowledge, attitudes, and discomfort with EC prescription was used. Multivariate logistic regression and artificial intelligence methods such as decision tree and random forest analysis were used to identify factors associated with discomfort with EC prescriptions. Results: Among 151 physicians who responded to the survey, 53.0% were uncomfortable with prescribing EC, whereas only 33.1% had already prescribed it. Inexperience was significantly associated with discomfort with EC prescription (odds ratio 4.47, 95% confidence interval 1.71-11.66). Previous EC prescription was protective against discomfort with EC prescription in the three models. Conclusions: EC is still infrequently prescribed by pediatricians because of inexperience and misconceptions. Training these professionals needs to be implemented as part of public health policies to reduce unplanned adolescent pregnancy.

RESUMO Objetivo: A contracepção de emergência (CE) é um método eficaz e seguro para prevenir gravidez não planejada após relação sexual desprotegida entre adolescentes, mas raramente prescrito por pediatras. Diante da escassez de dados sobre o desconforto com a prescrição de CE entre médicos no Brasil, o objetivo deste estudo foi identificar fatores associados a esse desconforto entre pediatras do estado do Amazonas. Métodos: Uma pesquisa do tipo e-survey coletou dados sociodemográficos, conhecimento, atitudes e desconforto com relação à prescrição de CE. Métodos de regressão logística multivariada e inteligência artificial, como árvore de decisão e random forest, foram usados para identificar fatores associados ao desconforto para a prescrição de CE. Resultados: Entre os 151 médicos que responderam à pesquisa, 53,0% sentiam-se desconfortáveis para prescrever CE e apenas 33,1% já a haviam prescrito. A inexperiência foi associada a esse desconforto (odds ratio — OR 4,47, intervalo de confiança — IC95% 1,71-11,66). A prescrição prévia de CE foi fator de proteção com relação ao desconforto nos três modelos. Conclusões: A CE ainda é pouco prescrita por pediatras. Apesar de sua segurança e eficácia, a inexperiência e conceitos equivocados foram associados ao desconforto para sua prescrição. Investigações sobre o assunto são importantes para subsidiar políticas públicas de saúde para a redução da gravidez não intencional na adolescência.