Unsafe abortions are a serious public health problem and a major human rights issue. In low-income countries, where restrictive abortion laws are common, safe abortion care is not always available to women in need. Health care providers have an important role in the provision of abortion services. However, the shortage of health care providers in low-income countries is critical and exacerbated by the unwillingness of some health care providers to provide abortion services. The aim of this study was to identify, summarise and synthesise available research addressing health care providers’ perceptions of and attitudes towards induced abortions in sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia. A systematic literature search of three databases was conducted in November 2014, as well as a manual search of reference lists. The selection criteria included quantitative and qualitative research studies written in English, regardless of the year of publication, exploring health care providers’ perceptions of and attitudes towards induced abortions in sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia. The quality of all articles that met the inclusion criteria was assessed. The studies were critically appraised, and thematic analysis was used to synthesise the data. Thirty-six studies, published during 1977 and 2014, including data from 15 different countries, met the inclusion criteria. Nine key themes were identified as influencing the health care providers’ attitudes towards induced abortions: 1) human rights, 2) gender, 3) religion, 4) access, 5) unpreparedness, 6) quality of life, 7) ambivalence 8) quality of care and 9) stigma and victimisation. Health care providers in sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia have moral-, social- and gender-based reservations about induced abortion. These reservations influence attitudes towards induced abortions and subsequently affect the relationship between the health care provider and the pregnant woman who wishes to have an abortion. A values clarification exercise among abortion care providers is needed.

The use of fertility regulating drugs is limited among various socio-ethnic groups due to limited knowledge about their mechanism of action. This study investigates the effect of levonorgestrel and mifepristone on attachment of human embryos to an in vitro endometrial construct. Three-dimensional endometrial constructs were established by co-culturing early luteal phase human endometrial stromal and epithelial cells. Expression of endometrial receptivity markers in this construct were examined by immunohistochemistry. Effects of mifepristone and levonorgestrel on viability and attachment of human blastocysts were investigated. Endometrial constructs expressed the factors involved in endometrial receptivity: estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, vascular endothelial growth factor, leukemia inhibitory factor, interleukin-1, COX-2, MUC-1 and integrin-α_Vβ₃. None of the 15 embryos cultured with mifepristone attached to the endometrial construct (P < 0.01), whereas 10/17 in control, and 6/14 in levonorgestrel, groups attached. The attachment was confirmed by the positive expression of cytokeratin 7 at the attachment site. Mifepristone inhibits blastocyst attachment. Levonorgestrel did not impair the attachment of human embryos to the in vitro endometrial construct. This model could be used to understand endometrial receptivity and embryo–endometrial dialog and to develop new fertility regulating substances.

The copper intrauterine device (IUD) is a highly effective and safe contraceptive method, also in nulliparous women. However, insertion of an IUD through a narrow cervix may be technically difficult. Misoprostol has been shown to be effective for cervical priming in non-pregnant women prior to hysteroscopy. Eighty nulliparous women requesting an IUD were randomly allocated to receive sublingually 400 µg misoprostol and 100 mg diclofenac (misoprostol group) or 100 mg diclofenac alone (control group) 1 h prior to IUD insertion. Cervical dilatation was measured prior to insertion using Hegar pins. Ease of insertion was judged by the investigator. Pain, bleeding and side effects were recorded at insertion and until follow-up performed one month later. Following treatment with misoprostol, insertion was significantly easier than in the control group [P = 0.039, difference 19.36%, confidence interval (CI) −0.013, 39.99]. Pain estimated on a visual analogue scale (1–10) showed no evidence of a difference between the groups. The overall distribution of side effects did not differ. However, shivering was more common in the misoprostol group (P = 0.0084, difference 23.27%, CI 6.64, 39.90). Misoprostol facilitates insertion of an IUD, and reduces the number of difficult and failed attempts of insertions in women with a narrow cervical canal. The optimal regimen of misoprostol remains to be defined.