1 | Aguilar et al., 2023, Northeastern US45 | 163 women who underwent an abortion, Surveys | Self- administered online survey | On the day of abortion, eligible patients were provided a flyer by the recovery room staff that contained a QR code linking to the survey online to be filled out within 1 month of receiving abortion care. | Discrimination, lack of information/misinformation |
2 | Altshuler et al., 2017, California, US69 | 20 women who underwent an abortion, IDIs | Interviews conducted face-to-face in a non-medical setting or over the phone | Women recruited through Craigslist, flyers at community colleges & public libraries around an area with abortion clinics and birth facilities. | Stigma, breaches in privacy/confidentiality, lack of privacy, protesters, mistreatment/undignified care |
3 | Arey, 2023, North Carolina, US51 | 490 women at the abortion clinics, Surveys | Survey administered face-to-face in the waiting rooms of the clinics | Patients and their companions were approached in the outer and back waiting rooms of the abortion clinics by the researcher. | Impact of protesters on women’s emotions |
4 | Baum et al., 2021, Mumbai, India and Eldoret and Thika, Kenya58 | India: 10 women who underwent an abortion, IDIs; 11 women, FGDs Kenya: 24 women who underwent an abortion, IDIs | Interviews and discussions held in private spaces at the clinics | Women were primarily recruited via health facilities associated with FHOK and FPAI. In Kenya, recruitment also took place through peer educators and other private providers. | Lack of information, neglect |
5 | Becker et al., 2011, Mexico City, Mexico52 | 402 women who underwent an abortion, Surveys | Surveys administered at the health facility after the abortion was complete | Recruitment of women for medication abortion occurred during follow-up visits, while those undergoing surgical abortion were recruited post-procedure. | Lack of information/misinformation, disrespect, protestors |
6 | Belizan et al., 2020, Tegucigalpa, Honduras59 | 85 women receiving PAC, IDIs and FGDs‡ | NR | Purposive sampling of women receiving PAC in the hospitals | Refusal of companion, breaches in privacy/confidentiality, neglect, verbal abuse, lack of information |
7 | Bennett, 2001, Lombok, Indonesia44 | 35 women who underwent an abortion, IDIs 58 women who underwent an abortion, FGDs | NR | NR | Stigma, disrespect, discrimination, lack of information/misinformation, mistreatment/undignified care |
8 | Bercu et al., 2022, Addis Ababa, Aksum, Mek’ele, Ethiopia60 | 23 women who underwent an abortion, IDIs | Interviews conducted face-to-face at private locations chosen by the participants | Participants were recruited from private clinics and public health facilities depending on the region. Those obtaining abortions at private clinics were contacted for participation through the call centre that originally referred them to a clinic for their abortion. Those obtaining abortions at public health facilities were approached by the local health facility staff prior to their abortion and enrolled immediately after receiving care. | Stigma, disrespect, attempt at dissuasion, lack of information/misinformation |
9 | Brack et al., 2017, Bogota, Colombia70 | 17 women who underwent an abortion, IDIs | Interviews conducted face-to-face in private consultation rooms at the clinics | Convenience sampling of women by the researcher based on referral by clinic directors, ERC reps and psychologists as well as lawyers from a reproductive rights org. | Stigma, disrespect, verbal abuse, breaches in privacy/confidentiality, mistreatment/undignified care, neglect, humiliation/condescension, attempt at dissuasion |
10 | Brandi et al., 2018, US68 | 31 women who underwent an abortion, IDIs | Interviews conducted face-to-face in private, non-clinical settings | Convenience sampling of women undergoing abortion at an academic medical centre. | Stigma, contraceptive coercion after abortion |
11 | Cárdenas et al., 2018, Montevideo, Uruguay78 | 10 women who underwent an abortion, IDIs | Interviews conducted face-to-face; location NR | Convenience sampling of women from a larger quantitative study conducted by the same researchers. | Disrespect |
12 | Cano and Foster, 2016, Yukon territory, Canada79 | 16 women who underwent an abortion, IDIs | Interviews conducted by phone or over skype | A diverse recruitment strategy that included posting study ads on listservs and online platforms, sharing study information through local organisations, and actively using traditional and social media channels. | Disrespect, purposeful delays in care, not heeding or knowing patient’s wishes for care and experiencing judgement across complicate referral pathway |
13 | Carroll and White, 2020, Louisiana, US72 | 35 women attending an abortion-related visit, IDIs | Interviews conducted by phone | Clinic staff at the health facilities providing abortions referred women to an on-site research assistant who screened and recruited them for the phone interviews. | Impact of protestors on women’s emotions, lack of privacy |
14 | Clyde et al., 2013, Mexico City, Mexico53 | 61 adolescents seeking or have obtained abortion services, Surveys* | Survey conducted as patients left the hospital | Female patients leaving the hospital were approached by the research team for participation in the survey if they accessed abortion services. | Stigma, lack of privacy, lack of companion |
15 | Deitch, 2019, Democratic Republic of Congo73 | 50 women receiving PAC, IDIs | Interviews conducted in a private room in the health facilities | Purposive selection of participants using PAC registers of 16 healthcare facilities. | Disrespect, lack of privacy, mistreatment/undignified care, denial of contraception without husband`s authorization |
16 | Dennis et al., 2015, Massachusetts, US74 | 27 women who underwent an abortion, IDIs | Interviews conducted by phone | Women recruited through flyers posted at local organisations and on Craigslist. | Lack of privacy, neglect, impact of protestors |
17 | DePiñeres et al., 2017, Bogota, Colombia17 | 8 women who were denied an abortion at a private facility (out of which 5 eventually obtained an abortion at the public hospital), IDIs | Initial interviews conducted right after denial of abortion in person at the clinic Second interviews conducted by phone 2 months after the initial interview | Purposive sampling of women denied abortions at the private clinic. | Stigma, disrespect, discrimination, verbal abuse, physical abuse, mistreatment/undignified care, humiliation/condescension, lack of privacy, attempt at dissuasion |
18 | Doran and Hornibrook, 2016, Rural NSW, Australia61 | 13 women who underwent an abortion, IDIs | Interviews conducted by phone (12 women) and face-to-face in an unspecified location (1 woman) | Women recruited via flyers placed on community notice boards and the backs of public toilet stalls, media announcements, word of mouth, and through women's service. | Stigma, lack of information/ misinformation, impact of protestors |
19 | Foster 2020 et al., Canada80 | 305 women who underwent an abortion, IDIs | Interviews conducted by phone or skype | Purposive recruitment based on age and geography through a multi-modal recruitment strategy including outreach efforts through clinics, community organisations, communities at-large, and social media and virtual spaces. | Stigma, verbal abuse, and attempt at dissuasion by protestors |
20 | Heller et al., 2016, Inverness, Scotland77 | 16 women who underwent an abortion, IDIs | Interviews conducted by phone | Clinic nurses contacted women either by phone or face-to-face and informed them of the study and those willing were consented by the nurses for participation and their contact details forwarded to the researcher. | Stigma, neglect |
21 | Kebede et al., 2018, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia21 | 25 women who underwent an abortion, IDIs | Interviews conducted face-to-face in a location of the woman’s choice | Women recruited via the staff at the healthcare facilities. | Stigma, lack of information |
22 | Kilander et al., 2018, Sweden62 | 13 women who underwent an abortion, IDIs | Interviews conducted at a place preferred by the women (their houses, local library) or over skype | Women provided with information on the study by midwives and gynaecologists during abortion counselling. Women who accepted to participate were contacted by the researchers. | Disrespect, lack of information/misinformation, contraceptive coercion |
23 | LaRoche et al., 2021, Australia63 | 22 women, non-binary and trans men who underwent an abortion, IDIs§ | Interviews were conducted via telephone or skype | Posting on social media, Australian online classifieds site Gumtree, asking community groups and organisations. | Stigma, confusion regarding legal status of abortion leading to stress during abortion care, lack of information/miscommunication, attempt at dissuasion |
24 | MacFarlane et al., 2017, Istanbul, Turkey56 | 14 women who underwent an abortion, IDIs | Interviewers conducted face-to-face with an interpreter in an unspecified location | Multimodal recruitment strategy that included social media posts, outreach through reproductive health orgs and early participant referrals. | Stigma, disrespect, discrimination, neglect, lack of privacy, mistreatment/undignified care, humiliation/condescension, lack of information/miscommunication |
25 | Madeiro and Rufino, 2017, Teresina, Brazil75 | 78 women with complications after an induced abortion, IDIs | Interviews conducted in a private room within the hospital | Purposive sampling of women admitted for incomplete abortion in the hospital. | Stigma, disrespect, verbal abuse, physical abuse, neglect, humiliation/condescension, discrimination, mistreatment/ undignified care |
26 | Makleff et al, 2019, Montevideo, Uruguay54 | 207 women who underwent an abortion, Surveys | Survey administered in-person in a private room at the clinic or by phone | Convenience sampling of women before the third of four mandated visits required for a voluntary abortion; questionnaire administered after the fourth visit upon completion of the abortion. | Stigma |
27 | Margo et al., 2016, South Carolina, US64 | 45 women seeking abortion services, IDIs | Interviews conducted in private rooms in the abortion clinics | Convenience sampling of women who came in for their abortion at the clinics on the same days as when the interviewer was at the clinics | Stigma, disrespect, neglect, lack of information/misinformation, protestors |
28 | McCallum et al., 2016, Salvador, Brazil57 | 11 women who underwent an abortion, IDIs* | Interviews conducted in locations suggested by the participants | Purposive sampling of women admitted to the hospital due to spontaneous or induced abortions who were identified from a previous study. | Stigma, disrespect, verbal abuse, neglect, breaches in privacy/ confidentiality, discrimination, lack of information/misinformation, mistreatment/undignified care, humiliation/condescension |
29 | Mutua et al., 2018, Kenya22 | 21 women receiving PAC, IDIs | Interviews conducted face-to-face at the health facilities | Purposive sampling of patients from 6 health facilities. | Stigma, disrespect, neglect, lack of privacy, breaches in privacy/confidentiality, discrimination, mistreatment/undignified care |
30 | Netshinombelo et al., 2022, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa67 | 23 women receiving PAC, IDIs | Interviews were conducted face-to-face in a quiet room in the hospitals | Purposive and convenience sampling of women who accessed PACs on the day of their discharge. | Stigma, disrespect, verbal abuse, physical abuse, neglect, humiliation/condescension, mistreatment/undignified care, lack of information/misinformation |
31 | Otsin et al., 2022, Ashanti, Ghana76 | 24 women who underwent an abortion, IDIs | Interviews were conducted face-to-face (location not specified) | Purposive sampling of women using advertising materials placed on notice boards and other locations within hospitals and providing material on the study to healthcare workers who informed women about the study. | Stigma, neglect, mistreatment/undignified care |
32 | Ouedraogo and Juma, 2020, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso71 | 39 women receiving PAC, IDIs | Interviews were conducted face-to-face at various places depending on the participants preferences | Women undergoing PACs identified by observation at different healthcare facilities. | Physical abuse, breaches in privacy/confidentiality |
33 | Penfold et al., 2018, Western Kenya25 | 22 women who underwent an abortion, IDIs | Interviews conducted face-to-face in a private location convenient to the woman | Women identified in health facilities as part of a larger study and purposely sampled based on the health facility and location i.e., urban or rural. | Lack of information |
34 | Puri et al., 2015, Nepal65 | 12 women who underwent an abortion, IDIs | Interviews conducted face-to-face at a place and time preferred by the women | Women identified in 2 health facilities and purposely sampled based on geographic proximity to the facilities. | Disrespect, discrimination, lack of information/ misinformation, mistreatment/undignified care |
35 | Regmi and Madison, 2010, Kathmandu, Nepal55 | 50 women who underwent a second-trimester abortion, Surveys | Surveys administered by researchers or filled out by the women themselves at undisclosed locations | Purposive sampling of women at two hospitals. | Breaches in privacy/confidentiality, lack of information/misinformation, mistreatment/undignified care |
36 | Sudhinaraset et al., 2019, Nairobi County, Kenya47 | 371 women who underwent an abortion, Surveys | Survey administered face-to-face in a private space located within the family planning clinics | Purposive sampling of women who received MVA or medication abortion services at the clinics on the same day as recruitment | PCAC score |
37 | Sunil, 2022, Tamil Nadu, India66 | 16 women who underwent abortion(s), IDIs | Interviews conducted face-to-face at a suitable and comfortable place for the participants | Snowball sampling of married woman who had experienced at least one induced abortion for reasons other than fetal anomaly and sex selection recruited through VHNs. | Stigma, disrespect, verbal abuse, neglect, humiliation/condescension, lack of information, discrimination, mistreatment/ undignified care, attempt at dissuasion, forced sterilisation |
38 | Wallin Lundell et al., 2015, Sweden49 | 708 women who underwent an abortion, Surveys | Baseline survey was completed in the waiting room at the hospital clinic before women underwent an abortion procedure; the 3-month follow up survey was posted to women | All women who requested an induced abortion at one of the 6 public hospitals in Sweden were approached. | Disrespect, discrimination, breaches in privacy/confidentiality, mistreatment/undignified care, lack of information/misinformation |