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Now Available from The RESPOND Project Study Series: Contributions to Global Knowledge

Two new publications from The RESPOND Project investigate factors that may motivate the use of abortion services and family planning services in Azerbaijan and Albania. Like many countries in the Europe & Eurasia region, Azerbaijan and Albania have a markedly low prevalence of modern contraceptive use, as well as high abortion rates. Another shared characteristic is the system of informal payments in the public sector, in which clients often pay health care providers for services that should be offered free of charge.

In two separate descriptive studies conducted in 2012, RESPOND interviewed clients and obstetrician-gynecologists (ob-gyns) in Baku, Azerbaijan, and in Tirana, Albania. Although not directly comparable, results from the two studies revealed some common themes.

  • About two-thirds of abortion clients in both countries say they intend to use a modern contraceptive method in the future; however, many fear potential side effects, and some hold exaggerated ideas about those side effects.
  • Fewer than half of abortion clients are counseled about contraceptives during their abortion visit or at a visit in preparation for their abortion, and ob-gyns often lack adequate knowledge to provide comprehensive counseling.
  • Providers require women initiating use of a modern contraceptive method to go through more tests/procedures and make more follow-up visits than the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends. These extra tests and visits can cost women even more money, due to the informal payment system.
These studies suggest that many factors influence a woman’s decision to use modern contraceptives in Azerbaijan and Albania. Future efforts should focus on educating both clients and health care providers about contraception, as well as minimizing the financial barriers imposed by recommendations that exceed WHO guidelines.

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