Oral

This session examines issues related to abortion access and utilization with a focus on client perspective and need. The first presentation will explore a global assessment of values clarification and attitude transformation (VCAT) workshops that included entries from an organizational training database, staff interviews, and workshop surveys on participants' abortion-related knowledge, comfort levels, values and behavioral intentions. Following abortion, women experience a range of emotions; how they vary by demographic and socioeconomic factors is unknown. The second presentation highlights how data from a counseling needs assessment provide insight into differences in abortion attitudes, emotions, and anticipated coping. Abortion self-induction has recently gained attention in the US, but little is known about this practice in this country. The third presentation will discuss the results of 25 in-depth interviews with women in San Francisco, Boston, and New York City, to understand their motivations and experiences with self-induction. Finally, the fourth presentation will explore abortion related stigma. Findings will be presented from a large quantitative study as well as in-depth interviews that seek to understand the relationship between perceived abortion-related stigma and disclosure about abortion.

Session Objectives: 1) Describe abortion values clarification and attitude transformation interventions and results. 2) Describe the use of needs assessment forms to assess women’s counseling needs. 3) List the methods reportedly used to self-induce abortion and their relative safety and effectiveness 4) Describe the relationship between perceived stigma and disclosure about abortion.

CE Credits: Medical (CME), Health Education (CHES), Nursing (CNE), Public Health (CPH)