POST ABORTION CARE

(PAC)

Definition

Post abortion care is an approach for

reducing morbidity and mortality from
incomplete and unsafe abortion and its
complications and for improving women's
sexual and reproductive health and lives
 Post abortion care and the
international community
The international community recognizes unsafe abortion as a
serious public-health problem

Endorses the need to ensure women's access to PAC

PAC can save women's lives and its an important part of any Safe
Motherhood initiative.

Numerous global agencies call on governments and health

systems to take action to support the timely provision of PAC
services,
United Nations International Conference on Population and
Development (ICPD), held in Cairo in 1994;

Fourth World Conference on Women, in Beijing, China in 1995;

Components of post abortion care
first articulated by IPAS in 1991

The original PAC model had three components:

Emergency treatment services for complications of

spontaneous or unsafe abortion.

Post abortion family planning counseling and services

Links between emergency abortion treatment services

and comprehensive reproductive health care
The expanded and updated post
abortion care model
Adds partnership with the community as an essential element

Counseling to identify and respond to women's emotional and

physical health needs and other concerns

Treatment of incomplete and unsafe abortion and complications

that are potentially life-threatening

Contraceptive and family planning services to help women

prevent an unwanted pregnancy or practice birth spacing

Linkage to reproductive and other health services that are

Available in the hospital
 The role of community
participation
Education about the risks and consequences of unsafe abortion

Participation by community members in decisions about which

sexual and reproductive health services are offered

Education about and promotion of human rights-based sexual and

reproductive health services, including PAC

Education to increase family planning and contraceptive use

(preventing unwanted pregnancies and unsafe abortion)

Education about the signs and symptoms of post abortion

complications to promote appropriate care-seeking behaviors

Mobilization of community resources to ensure that women

suffering from incomplete abortion receive the care they need
 Emergency post abortion care
services
For treatment of incomplete and unsafe abortion

Resuscitation

Manual vacuum aspiration

Antibiotics

Blood transfusion

Analgesia

Laparotomy/laparoscopy
 The aims of counseling:

Solicit and affirm women's feelings and provide

emotional support

Ensure that women receive appropriate

answers to their questions

Help women clarify their thoughts about their

pregnancy, incomplete abortion, treatment,
resumption of ovulation and reproductive
health future

Address other concerns women may have

 post abortion family planning
counseling and services
Ensure that patients receive information and counseling on post
abortion contraception (including emergency contraception)
before leaving the hospital.

All methods of contraception can be considered for use after

abortion

Contraception should be started early after an abortion

Diaphragm and cervical cap should be delayed till 6 weeks after a

2nd trimester abortion

There is high risk of expulsion of intra uterine device and risk of

infection if inserted at the time of 2nd trimester abortion. (delay for
3 months if infection is present).
 Linkage to reproductive and other
health services
:
This encourages providing post abortion women with reproductive
and other health services present in the hospital.

STI/HIV prevention education, screening, diagnosis and treatment

screening for sexual and/or domestic violence, and referral for

medical/social/economic services and support

infertility diagnosis, counseling and treatment

nutrition education and hygiene

cancer screening and referral,

other health services