# Post-abortion care

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Medical treatment and counseling after abortion

**Post-abortion care** (**PAC**) is treatment and counseling for post-abortion women. It includes [curative care](/source/Curative_care), such as treating abortion complications, as well as [preventative care](/source/Preventative_care), such as providing [birth control](/source/Birth_control) to prevent future unwanted pregnancies.[1] Post-abortion care reduces morbidity and mortality associated with abortion.[2]

## Prevalence

Approximately 75 million women require post-abortion care annually following induced and [spontaneous abortion](/source/Spontaneous_abortion) (miscarriage).[3] All countries have committed to reducing pregnancy-related mortality by providing treatment for abortion complications, regardless if the abortion was illegally obtained.[1] However, an analysis of ten countries (Bangladesh, Haiti, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, Nepal, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania, and Uganda) found that in seven of ten, less than 10% of primary facilities could provide basic post-abortion care. No primary healthcare facilities in Namibia provided post-abortion care; Malawi, with greatest prevalence, offered post-abortion care at 29% of primary facilities.[2]

## Elements

The [curative care](/source/Curative_care) aspect of PAC includes treating incomplete abortions by removing any fetal or maternal tissues remaining in the uterus. This can include using [vacuum aspiration](/source/Vacuum_aspiration) (suction) or [curettage](/source/Curettage) (scraping). Aspiration results in shorter procedure times, less pain, and less blood loss than curettage. The drug [misoprostol](/source/Misoprostol) is an alternative to manual removal and is another option for treating incomplete abortion.[3]

For [preventative care](/source/Preventative_care), women are provided family planning counseling and services, as most women seeking PAC were not using modern contraceptives at the time of conception. A study in Zimbabwe found that family planning counseling was associated with a significant reduction in unwanted pregnancies and repeat abortions in the year after they received post-abortion care. Infrequently, sexual health screenings such as [HIV testing](/source/HIV_testing) are provided as part of post-abortion care, though [sexually transmitted infection](/source/Sexually_transmitted_infection) screening is low and has been identified as an unmet need of PAC.[3]

## History

The term "post-abortion care" was first defined in the 1991 by the non-governmental organization (NGO) [Ipas](/source/Ipas_(organization)).[4] In 1993, Ipas joined [Jhpiego](/source/Jhpiego), [EngenderHealth](/source/EngenderHealth), [Pathfinder International](/source/Pathfinder_International), and [International Planned Parenthood Federation](/source/International_Planned_Parenthood_Federation), in creating the Postabortion Care Consortium.[5]

In 1994, a post-abortion care model was articulated by the Postabortion Care Consortium, with three key elements, regardless of the legality of abortion in a given country: 1) emergency treatment for abortion-related complications; 2) postabortion family planning counseling and services; and 3) linkage between emergency care and other reproductive health services, such as management of sexually transmitted diseases.[6] The PAC model was adopted by [United States Agency for International Development](/source/United_States_Agency_for_International_Development) (USAID) in 1994.[3] In 2002, two elements were added relating to counseling and community involvement.[7] The first research compendium on post-abortion care was published in 2007 by USAID, *What Works, A Policy and Program Guide to the Evidence on Postabortion Care*.[3]

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-capacity_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-capacity_1-1) Owolabi, Onikepe O.; Biddlecom, Ann; Whitehead, Hannah S. (2019). ["Health systems' capacity to provide post-abortion care: A multicountry analysis using signal functions"](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6478445). *The Lancet Global Health*. **7** (1): e110–e118. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1016/S2214-109X(18)30404-2](https://doi.org/10.1016%2FS2214-109X%2818%2930404-2). [PMC](/source/PMC_(identifier)) [6478445](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6478445). [PMID](/source/PMID_(identifier)) [30503402](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30503402).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-missed_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-missed_2-1) Temmerman, M. (2019). ["Missed opportunities in women's health: Post-abortion care"](https://doi.org/10.1016%2FS2214-109X%2818%2930542-4). *The Lancet. Global Health*. **7** (1): e12–e13. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1016/S2214-109X(18)30542-4](https://doi.org/10.1016%2FS2214-109X%2818%2930542-4). [hdl](/source/Hdl_(identifier)):[1854/LU-8603453](https://hdl.handle.net/1854%2FLU-8603453). [PMID](/source/PMID_(identifier)) [30503403](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30503403).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-years_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-years_3-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-years_3-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-years_3-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-years_3-4) Huber, Douglas; Curtis, Carolyn; Irani, Laili; Pappa, Sara; Arrington, Lauren (2016). ["Postabortion Care: 20 Years of Strong Evidence on Emergency Treatment, Family Planning, and Other Programming Components"](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5042702). *Global Health: Science and Practice*. **4** (3): 481–494. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.9745/GHSP-D-16-00052](https://doi.org/10.9745%2FGHSP-D-16-00052). [PMC](/source/PMC_(identifier)) [5042702](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5042702). [PMID](/source/PMID_(identifier)) [27571343](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27571343).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Adams, Patrick (9 March 2021). ["In Hospitals Across Africa, A Lack Of Post-Abortion Care"](https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2021/03/09/936206516/in-hospitals-across-africa-a-lack-of-post-abortion-care). *NPR*. Retrieved 9 March 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-elements_5-0)** Corbett, M. R.; Turner, K. L. (2003). "Essential elements of postabortion care: Origins, evolution and future directions". *International Family Planning Perspectives*. **29** (3): 106–11. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1363/ifpp.29.106.03](https://doi.org/10.1363%2Fifpp.29.106.03). [PMID](/source/PMID_(identifier)) [14519586](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14519586).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Rasch, Vibeke (2011). ["Unsafe abortion and postabortion care - an overview"](https://doi.org/10.1111%2Fj.1600-0412.2011.01165.x). *Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica*. **90** (7): 692–700. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1111/j.1600-0412.2011.01165.x](https://doi.org/10.1111%2Fj.1600-0412.2011.01165.x). [PMID](/source/PMID_(identifier)) [21542813](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21542813).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["USAID PAC Model, Results Framework, and Global and Country Indicators"](https://www.postabortioncare.org/sites/pac/files/USAID_Model.pdf) (PDF). *Postabortion Care*.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Post-abortion care](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post-abortion_care) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post-abortion_care?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.