Safe abortion research
Marie Stopes International (MSI) engages in a range of research activities which aim to improve access to safe abortion and, in particular, medical abortion.
Research into safe abortion includes randomised controlled trials and observational trials on medical abortion. These trials are often linked to the registration of either misoprostol or mifepristone and are undertaken in collaboration with government partners.
- in Ghana, MSI is collaborating with the Ministry of Health and Population Council on a trial comparing administration of misoprostol in the home as opposed to clinics. This is an innovative study with potential for high impact on policy in Ghana and elsewhere in Africa
- in Madagascar, MSI is working with Venture Strategies Innovations (VSI) and the government on a trial for registering misoprostol for post-partum haemorrhage and post-abortion care.
Other research into safe abortion includes:
- clinical audits to track outcomes associated with the different regimes used in our partner programmes
- mystery client surveys in order to gauge the availability of misoprostol and mifepristone in pharmacies and among service providers
- qualitative research to understand factors associated with a woman’s decision to seek an abortion and how MSI programmes can better reduce the risk of unsafe abortion.
Find out more about MSI's Research and Metrics programme.
Key findings from Medical Abortion in India: a model for the rest of the world?
- approximately two-thirds of women and 85% of men in the two Indian states studied wrongly thought that abortion was illegal
- 78% of pharmacists and 85% of practitioners considered medical abortion to be either somewhat or very effective
- nearly one-third of women who had had a medical abortion obtained the pills directly from a pharmacy.
Related research
Research & Analysis 2: Medical abortion in India: a model for the rest of the world?
Tania Boler, Cicely Marston, Nick Corby and Elizabeth Gardiner.