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)