Post-abortion care services at Red Sea State - Sudan

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Health
• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Public Health

Background:

• Unsafe abortions persist globally, especially in underdeveloped regions, despite available safe methods.
• Post-abortion care (PAC) is crucial for managing complications and preventing future unintended pregnancies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the rate and utilization of post-abortion care services in Red Sea State.
• To analyze the methods of abortion and the uptake of comprehensive PAC packages.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive, hospital-based observational study was conducted at Port Sudan Maternity hospital from May 2018 to May 2019.
• The study included all patients presenting with inevitable and incomplete miscarriage.

Main Results:

• An overall abortion rate of 11.3% was recorded (1077 cases out of 9525 gynaecological admissions).
• Spontaneous abortions accounted for 58.6%, while induced abortions were 41.4%.
• Non-surgical evacuation methods predominated: Misoprostol (66.1%) and Manual Vacuum Aspiration (MVA) (33.7%), with surgical evacuation in only 0.2% of cases. Family planning and counseling were utilized by 20.7% of patients.

Conclusions:

• The study identified an 11.3% abortion rate in the region, characterized by a high incidence of induced abortions.
• There was a significant shift towards non-surgical evacuation methods.
• Utilization of the post-abortion care package was deemed reasonable, highlighting areas for potential improvement in service delivery.