Limited knowledge of life-saving medical abortion among private Guatemalan obstetrician-gynaecologists.
Article Type: Brief article
Subject: Abortion services (Human resource management)
Obstetricians (Training)
Obstetricians (Demographic aspects)
Gynecologists (Training)
Gynecologists (Demographic aspects)
Clinical competence (Demographic aspects)
29-1064 Obstetricians and Gynecologists
Pub Date: 05/01/2012
Publication: Name: Reproductive Health Matters Publisher: Elsevier Science Publishers Audience: General Format: Magazine/Journal Subject: Family and marriage; Health; Women's issues/gender studies Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2012 Reproductive Health Matters ISSN: 0968-8080
Issue: Date: May, 2012 Source Volume: 20 Source Issue: 39
Topic: Event Code: 280 Personnel administration Computer Subject: Company personnel management
Product: Product Code: 8082000 Abortion Clinics NAICS Code: 621498 All Other Outpatient Care Centers SIC Code: 8093 Specialty outpatient clinics, not elsewhere classified
Geographic: Geographic Scope: Guatemala Geographic Name: Guatemala Geographic Code: 2GUAT Guatemala
Accession Number: 296571593
Full Text: Knowledge of medical abortion among 172 private obstetrician-gynaecologists across Guatemala was found in a survey to be limited and hindering women's access to legal abortion. 73% of respondents knew that abortion is legally permitted only when the woman's life is at risk. Although 92% knew that misoprostol can be used to induce abortion, only 35% knew the WHO-recommended dosage and only 25% knew about mifepristone. Those under 40 years of age were seven times more likely and those aged 40-49 years twice as likely to approve of medical abortion after fetal death and for severe eclampsia with fetal death, compared with older doctors. (1)

(1.) Kestler E. Obstetrician--gynecologists' knowledge of and attitudes toward medical abortion in Guatemala. International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics 2012;116:120-23.

Doi: 10.1016/S0968-8080(12)39628-6
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