ArticleContraception2018
Barriers to accessing abortion services and perspectives on using mifepristone and misoprostol at home in Great Britain.
Article in Contraception, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 29 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
29 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Abortion stigma among people seeking abortion care in high-income countries: a mixed-methods systematic review.Sexual and reproductive health matters · 2025Pooled it
- Why do they take the risk? A systematic review of the qualitative literature on informal sector abortions in settings where abortion is legal.BMC women's health · 2019Pooled it
- Telehealth abortion services via Women on Web in Kenya (2013-2019): a descriptive analysis of the characteristics and motivations of the care seekers.Sexual and reproductive health matters · 2025Article
- Assessing feasibility and acceptability of increasing access to sexual and reproductive health and rights through pharmacy outlets and community health volunteers: lessons from pilot study in Kenya.BMC health services research · 2024Article
- Themes in Abortion Forum Discussions in a Restrictive Access Context: Qualitative and Quantitative Analyses.Journal of medical Internet research · 2024Article
- Article
- The experiences and perspectives of abortion seekers who travel for care: a qualitative evidence synthesis.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2024Article
- Childcare as a social determinant of access to healthcare: a scoping review.Frontiers in public health · 2024Article
- Reach, experience, and acceptability of an abortion self-care intervention in Bolivia: a mixed-methods evaluation.Sexual and reproductive health matters · 2023Article
- Experiences seeking, sourcing, and using abortion pills at home in the United States through an online telemedicine service.SSM. Qualitative research in health · 2022Article
- Quality of care in abortion in the era of technological and medical advancements and self-care.Reproductive health · 2022Article
- The Case for Telemedical Early Medical Abortion in England: Dispelling Adult Safeguarding Concerns.Health care analysis : HCA : journal of health philosophy and policy · 2022Article
- The economic context of pursuing online medication abortion in the United States.SSM. Qualitative research in health · 2021Article
- Permeability of abortion care in the Netherlands: a qualitative analysis of women's experiences, health professional perspectives, and the internet resource of Women on Web.Sexual and reproductive health matters · 2021Article
- Safeguarding and teleconsultation for abortion.Lancet (London, England) · 2021Review
- Abortion care in a pandemic: an analysis of the number and social profile of people requesting and receiving abortion care during the first COVID-19 lockdown (March 16 to June 14, 2020) in Flanders, Belgium.Archives of public health = Archives belges de sante publique · 2021Article
- Effectiveness, safety and acceptability of no-test medical abortion (termination of pregnancy) provided via telemedicine: a national cohort study.BJOG : an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology · 2021Article
- Safe Abortion in Women's Hands: Autonomy and a Human Rights Approach to COVID-19 and Beyond.Health and human rights · 2021Article
- 2020 developments in the provision of early medical abortion by telemedicine in the UK.Health policy (Amsterdam, Netherlands) · 2021Article
- Effects of bilateral early breast sucking and unilateral early breast sucking within 2 h after delivery on lactation, breast distending pain and postpartum lochia.American journal of translational research · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
Abstract
objectiveTo examine reasons for seeking abortion services outside the formal healthcare system in Great Britain, where abortion is legally available. STUDY
designWe conducted a mixed-methods study among women resident in England, Scotland, and Wales who requested at-home medication abortion through online telemedicine initiative Women on Web (WoW) between November 22, 2016, and March 22, 2017. We examined the demographics and circumstances of all women requesting early medication abortion and conducted a content analysis of a sample of their anonymized emails to the service to explore their reasons for seeking help.
resultsOver a 4-month period, 519 women contacted WoW seeking medication abortion. These women were diverse with respect to age, parity, and circumstance. One hundred eighty women reported 209 reasons for seeking abortion outside the formal healthcare setting. Among all reasons, 49% were access barriers, including long waiting times, distance to clinic, work or childcare commitments, lack of eligibility for free NHS services, and prior negative experiences of abortion care; 30% were privacy concerns, including lack of confidentiality of services, perceived or experienced stigma, and preferring the privacy and comfort of using pills at home; and 18% were controlling circumstances, including partner violence and partner/family control.
conclusionDespite the presence of abortion services in Great Britain, a diverse group of women still experiences logistical and personal barriers to accessing care through the formal healthcare system, or prefer the privacy of conducting their abortions in their own homes. Health services commissioning bodies could address existing barriers if supported by policy frameworks. IMPLICATIONS: The presence of multiple barriers to accessing abortion care in Great Britain highlights the need for future guidelines to recommend a more woman-centered approach to service provision. Reducing the number of clinic visits and designing services to meet the needs of those living in controlling circumstances are particularly important goals.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.