Bibliographic Info
GuidelineHealth worker roles in providing safe abortion care and post-abortion contraception
Year of Publication2015
Issuing InstitutionWorld Health Organization
Recommendation
Status
Maintained
Recommended
medical abortion (MA) in the first trimester. Health worker. Nurses: Recommended
Notes and Remarks
- 1.Available evidence for the independent provision of MA by non-physicians is for pregnancy durations up to 10 weeks (70 days). Further research is needed on pregnancies of 11–12 weeks.
- 2.It is not essential that the person providing the MA should also be trained and competent in MVA provision. However, in such cases, backup referral access to a provider who can perform MVA if needed should be ensured. Such backup does not necessarily have to be at the same site.
- 3.Restrictions on prescribing authority for some categories of providers may need to be modified or other mechanisms put in place for allowing such providers to administer the MA medications within the regulatory framework of the health system.
- 4.There is a higher chance of ongoing pregnancy when misoprostol alone is used; hence, irrespective of the level of provider, training has to emphasize the ability to detect these cases for further management/ referral.
Also Featured In
This recommendation also appears in the following guidelines:
Guideline
Abortion care guideline
Year2022
InstitutionWHO
Guideline
Abortion care guideline, 2nd ed
Year2024
InstitutionWorld Health Organization