Women's experiences of contraceptive counselling in the context of an abortion - An interview study

Objective: To identify and understand women's lived experiences of contraceptive counselling given at the same time as abortion counselling. Methods: We interviewed 13 women aged 20-39 who had experienced an abortion and the related counselling. The women were recruited from five hospitals in Sweden. Interviews were analysed using an interpretative phenomenological approach. Results: We identified two themes: need for respectful counselling and needs for guidance and access to contraceptives. The essence "Being in a state of limbo and feeling sceptical" was coalesced from the themes. The women described a state of limbo, as being caught in an unwanted and emotionally charged situation. They reported that respectful counselling and meeting a skilled health professional helped to dispel their scepticism and influenced their plans for contraceptive use post abortion. Furthermore, women who wanted an intrauterine device described difficulties in access post abortion. Conclusion: The women seem to have a limited receptivity to contraceptive counselling when they have an unwanted pregnancy and are sceptical about contraceptives. Women, who experience respect in the counselling, report being helped in contraceptive decision-making. To receive respectful counselling and to have good access to intrauterine devices emerged as central needs among women at the time of an abortion.