FRONTIERS PROJECT
Linking Family Planning with Postabortion Services in Egypt: Testing Feasibility, Acceptability, and Effectiveness of Two Models of Integration

FRONTIERS, in collaboration with the TAHSEEN/CATALYST Project and the Egypt Ministry of Health and Population, tested the feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of two models of integrating family planning (FP) with postabortion services in six public hospitals in Egypt. Model I involved providing FP counseling to postabortion patients on the OB/GYN ward and referring them to a FP clinic while Model II involved providing FP methods on the ward. The two models were implemented in tandem. Assessment of Model I showed that despite the fact that providers rarely offered family planning counseling, the great majority of physicians and nurses (93 percent) accepted their role in providing that counseling to postabortion patients. In addition, exit interviews with 320 patients showed that 77 percent actually received FP counseling before discharge. Home interviews conducted with the above patients three months later showed that 35 percent used contraception within that period, of which 40 percent used contraception within the first two weeks. At the time of the visit, 28.9 percent were continuing to use contraception. Assessment of Model II currently is underway. Final study results will help the Ministry of Health and Population develop a policy for linking FP to curative services for postabortion patients.

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Location

Egypt

Duration

August 2004–August 2006

Population Council researcher

Nahla Abdel-Tawab

Non-Council collaborators

Egypt Ministry of Health and Population

TAHSEEN/CATALYST Project

Donor

US Agency for International Development

Publications/Resources
Council researchers' names appear in boldface type. 

2007
Youssef, Hala, Nahla Abdel-Tawab, John Bratt, Ton van der Velden, and Mohamed Abou-Gabal. “Linking family planning with postabortion services in Egypt: Testing the feasibility, acceptability and effectiveness of two models of integration,” FRONTIERS Final Report. Washington, DC: Population Council. (PDF, 731 KB)

2006
"Programmatic update: Linking family planning with postabortion services in Egypt: Testing two models of integration,"  PAC in Action 10: 8, November. (PDF)

Youssef, Hala, Nahla Abdel-Tawab, Ton van der Velden, and Mohamed A. Gabal. "Linking family planning with postabortion services in Egypt: Is it feasible to offer family planning counseling on the ward?" FRONTIERS Research Update no. 10. Cairo: Population Council. (requests for this publication may be sent to pcouncil@pccairo.org)

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See Also

• Egypt
• Postabortion Care
• Reproductive Health
• FRONTIERS Egypt
• FRONTIERS Postabortion Care

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