title: Providing medication abortion information to diverse communities: use patterns of a multilingual web site.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study analyzes the use patterns of , an English-, Spanish-, Arabic- and French-language web site dedicated to three methods of early pregnancy termination: mifepristone/misoprostol, methotrexate/misoprostol and misoprostol alone.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study examines both the overall and language-specific use patterns of the web site from October 1, 2004, through September 30, 2005. Data were recorded using Wusage 8.0, a web site statistics program.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Over the 12-month study period, received more than 78,000 visits and nearly 240,000 page requests. The English version is the most popular version of the web site (accessed in 46.1% of all visits), followed by the Spanish (35.0%), Arabic (10.4%) and French (8.8%) versions. Spanish-language visits are nearly three times as likely to access the misoprostol-only section of the web site when compared with the other language versions (p<.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study confirms that multilingual, medically accurate online resources have the potential to expand information about medication abortion to both providers and women considering the option of abortion in diverse communities. Analysis of the language-specific use patterns highlights the different priorities of various types of web site visitors and suggests future priorities for educational outreach, collaboration and research.
authors.affiliation: Ibis Reproductive Health, 2 Brattle Square, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA. afaoster@ibisreproductivehealth.org
authors.forename: Angel M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Foster
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wynn
authors.forename: Aida
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rouhana
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Diaz-Olavarrieta
authors.forename: Kate
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Schaffer
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Trussell
mesh_terms: D000019:Abortifacient Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000028:Abortion, Induced / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007255:Information Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D020407:Internet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007802:Language; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000008:administration & dosage; D015735:Mifepristone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D016595:Misoprostol / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011247:Pregnancy
chemical_list: D000019:Abortifacient Agents; D016595:Misoprostol; D015735:Mifepristone; D008727:Methotrexate