title: Private medical providers' knowledge and practices concerning medical abortion in Nigeria.
abstract: To investigate the knowledge and practices regarding medical abortion and postabortion care in northern Nigeria among private physicians--the principal providers of such services in the area--122 doctors operating separate clinics in five states--Bauchi, Borno, Kaduna, Niger, and Taraba--were interviewed by means of a structured questionnaire. The results showed that 22 percent of the doctors reported that they terminate unwanted pregnancies, whereas nearly all reported that they manage complications of unsafe abortion. Manual vacuum aspiration and dilatation and curettage performed singly or in combination were the most common methods of abortion and postabortion care reported by the doctors. Only one doctor reported exclusive use of medical abortion in the first trimester, and three reported its exclusive use in the second trimester. Only 35 percent of the doctors listed misoprostol as a drug that they knew could be used for abortion and postabortion care, and only 12 percent listed mifepristone. By contrast, 49 percent listed inappropriate or dangerous drugs for use in abortion provision in the first and second trimesters of pregnancy. We conclude that private practitioners in northern Nigeria have limited knowledge of medical abortion and postabortion care, and that a capacity-building program on the subject should be instituted for them.
authors.affiliation: Women's Health and Action Research Center, KM 11 Benin-Lagos Expressway, Igue-Iheya, Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria. feokonofua@yahoo.co.uk
authors.forename: Friday E
authors.initials: FE
authors.lastname: Okonofua
authors.forename: Afolabi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hammed
authors.forename: Tajudeen
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Abass
authors.forename: Abdulkarim Garba
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Mairiga
authors.forename: Abubakar Bako
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Mohammed
authors.forename: Adeniyi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Adewale
authors.forename: Danjuma
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Garba
mesh_terms: D000021:Abortifacient Agents, Steroidal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000028:Abortion, Induced / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000328:Adult; D000359:Aftercare / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002983:Clinical Competence; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015735:Mifepristone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009549:Nigeria; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D010820:Physicians / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011182:Postoperative Care; D011247:Pregnancy; D011264:Pregnancy Trimesters; D012736:Sex Education; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000021:Abortifacient Agents, Steroidal; D015735:Mifepristone