title: Health consequences of unsafe abortion in Colombia, 1989-2008.
abstract: The number of Colombian women hospitalized for the treatment of induced abortion complications increased from 57 679 in 1989 to 93 336 in 2008; the hospitalization rate also rose: from 7.2 to 9.1 cases per 1000 women aged 15-44 years. Factors that likely underlie the increase include improved access to postabortion care (although 1 in 5 women still do not obtain the care they need) and the growing role of misoprostol, often used incorrectly and to some extent replacing the use of surgical abortion by doctors. Efforts are evidently needed to improve access to safe abortion and effective contraception.
authors.affiliation: Consultant to Guttmacher Institute, Bogotá, Colombia. eprada@guttmacher.org
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Prada
authors.forename: Susheela
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Villarreal
mesh_terms: D000028:Abortion, Induced / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D000293:Adolescent; D003105:Colombia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D011182:Postoperative Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult