{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,8]],"date-time":"2026-09-08T13:17:14Z","timestamp":1788873434596,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":32,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,4,20]],"date-time":"2021-04-20T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1618876800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS ONE"],"abstract":"<jats:sec id=\"sec001\">\n                    <jats:title>Introduction<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Abortions remain one of the highest contributors to maternal deaths in Ghana. In 2003, a policy on post-abortion care was introduced to help reduce abortion-related mortality and morbidity. However, depending on the method of pregnancy termination; women encounter varying experiences. This study examines the experiences of women seeking post-abortion care services in a Regional Hospital in Ghana.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"sec002\">\n                    <jats:title>Materials and methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>In-depth interview technique was used to collect data from 20 purposively selected post-abortion care clients at the Volta Regional Hospital. Data were analysed manually using a qualitative content analysis technique.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"sec003\">\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The study found that medical abortion was the main method of pregnancy termination used by women who participated in the study to induce abortion. Spontaneous abortion, however, was attributed mainly to engaging in activities that required the use of excessive energy and travelling on bad roads by pregnant women. The study also revealed that, women do not seek early post-abortion care services due to stigma and poverty.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"sec004\">\n                    <jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>We found that severity of pain from complications, stigma and financial constraints were factors that influenced women\u2019s decision to seek post-abortion care services. Our findings also suggest that women who experienced spontaneous abortion mainly received financial and emotional support from partners and other family members. To encourage women to seek early post-abortion care services, the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service should take pragmatic steps to educate women on the dangers associated with delay in seeking post-abortion care services and the factors that expose women to spontaneous abortions.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0248478","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,4,20]],"date-time":"2021-04-20T14:58:00Z","timestamp":1618930680000},"page":"e0248478","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":14,"title":["Experiences of women seeking post-abortion care services in a Regional Hospital in Ghana"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"16","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2475-7326","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Kenneth Setorwu","family":"Adde","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Eugene Kofuor Maafo","family":"Darteh","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Akwasi","family":"Kumi-Kyereme","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,4,20]]},"reference":[{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0248478.ref001","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e000113","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjgh-2016-000113","article-title":"WHO Multi-Country survey on abortion-related morbidity and mortality in health facilities: study protocol","volume":"1","author":"WHO MCS-A Research Group","year":"2016","journal-title":"BMJ Global Health"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0248478.ref002","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"115","DOI":"10.1002\/ijgo.12927","article-title":"Is abortion justified to save the life or health of a woman? Evidence of public opinion from Accra, Ghana","volume":"147","author":"SD Rominski","year":"2019","journal-title":"International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics"},{"issue":"10041","key":"pone.0248478.ref003","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"258","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(16)30380-4","article-title":"Abortion incidence between 1990 and 2014: global, regional, and subregional levels and trends","volume":"388","author":"G Sedgh","year":"2016","journal-title":"The Lancet"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0248478.ref004","article-title":"Attitudes and experiences of women admitted to hospital with abortion complications in Ghana","volume":"15","author":"P Aniteye","year":"2011","journal-title":"African Journal of Reproductive Health"},{"key":"pone.0248478.ref005","unstructured":"Ghana Health Services. Reproductive and child health annual programme of work. Ghana Health Services, Reproductive and Child Health. 2006."},{"issue":"7\u20139","key":"pone.0248478.ref006","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"918","DOI":"10.1080\/07399332.2014.914941","article-title":"\u201cAbortion\u2014It Is My Own Body\u201d: Women\u2019s Narratives About Influences on Their Abortion Decisions in Ghana","volume":"35","author":"GY Oduro","year":"2014","journal-title":"Health Care for Women International"},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0248478.ref007","first-page":"80","article-title":"Overview of the law and availability of abortion services in Ghana","volume":"40","author":"RA Morhee","year":"2006","journal-title":"Ghana Medical Journal"},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0248478.ref008","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"223","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijgo.2014.03.028","article-title":"Decentralizing postabortion care in Senegal with misoprostol for incomplete abortion","volume":"126","author":"A Gaye","year":"2014","journal-title":"International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0248478.ref009","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"273","DOI":"10.1002\/ijgo.12951","article-title":"Post\u2010abortion care: Ethical and legal duties","volume":"147","author":"BM Dickens","year":"2019","journal-title":"International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics"},{"key":"pone.0248478.ref010","volume-title":"Preventing unsafe abortion and its consequences: priorities for research and action","author":"IH Shah","year":"2006"},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0248478.ref011","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"110","DOI":"10.1363\/3711005","article-title":"Reasons US women have abortions: quantitative and qualitative perspectives","volume":"37","author":"LB Finer","year":"2005","journal-title":"Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health"},{"key":"pone.0248478.ref012","unstructured":"Mpangile GS, Leshabari MT, Kihwele DJ. Induced abortion in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: the plight of adolescents. 1999; 387\u2013403."},{"key":"pone.0248478.ref013","volume-title":"Unsafe abortion, Global and Regional Estimates of the Incidence of Unsafe Abortion and Associated Mortality in 2003","author":"WHO","edition":"5"},{"key":"pone.0248478.ref014","volume-title":"Ghana Maternal Health Survey 2017","author":"Ghana Statistical Services (GSS), Ghana Health Service (GHS), & ICF International","year":"2017"},{"key":"pone.0248478.ref015","first-page":"178","volume-title":"Reproductive Change in Ghana: Recent Patterns and Future Prospects","author":"CL Ahiadeke","year":"2005"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0248478.ref016","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"135","DOI":"10.1016\/S0301-2115(02)00224-5","article-title":"Trends in maternal mortality: a 13-year hospital-based study in rural Ghana","volume":"107","author":"DW Geelhoed","year":"2003","journal-title":"European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology"},{"key":"pone.0248478.ref017","volume-title":"Abortion in Ghana","author":"G Sedgh","year":"2010"},{"key":"pone.0248478.ref018","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"96","DOI":"10.2307\/2673822","article-title":"Incidence of induced abortion in southern Ghana","volume":"1","author":"C Ahiadeke","year":"2001","journal-title":"International Family Planning Perspectives"},{"key":"pone.0248478.ref019","unstructured":"Blum, J., Diop, A., Frimpong, P., & Taylor, J. Medical Abortion in Ghana: Feasibility and Acceptability of Mifepristone and Misoprostol in low resourced areas\u2019. Unpublished study conducted in La General Hospital and Koforidua Government Hospital, 2007. 2005."},{"key":"pone.0248478.ref020","volume-title":"Ghana maternal health survey 2007","author":"Ghana Statistical Services (GSS), Ghana Health Service (GHS), & ICF International","year":"2009"},{"key":"pone.0248478.ref021","unstructured":"Ghana Health Service. 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Pre and post abortion experiences among young females in Cape Coast metropolis, Ghana","volume":"19","author":"K Esia-Donkoh","year":"2015","journal-title":"African Journal of Reproductive Health"},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0248478.ref027","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"345","DOI":"10.1080\/17441692.2014.992799","article-title":"Post-abortion contraception choices of women in Ghana: a one-year review","volume":"10","author":"SD Rominski","year":"2015","journal-title":"Global Public Health"},{"key":"pone.0248478.ref028","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"51","DOI":"10.17730\/humo.61.1.em6l865y3v9y7y2l","article-title":"The influence of sex of interviewer on the results of an AIDS survey in Ghana","volume":"61","author":"SC McCombie","year":"2002","journal-title":"Hum Organ"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0248478.ref029","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"59","DOI":"10.1177\/1525822X05279903","article-title":"How many interviews are enough? An experiment with data saturation and variability","volume":"18","author":"G Guest","year":"2006","journal-title":"Field Methods"},{"issue":"5","key":"pone.0248478.ref030","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"497","DOI":"10.1002\/ajim.20812","article-title":"Physical activity, physical exertion, and miscarriage risk in women textile workers in Shanghai, China","volume":"53","author":"EY Wong","year":"2010","journal-title":"American Journal of Industrial Medicine"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0248478.ref031","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"90","DOI":"10.1363\/3809006","article-title":"Disparities in rates of unintended pregnancy in the United States, 1994 and 2001","volume":"38","author":"LB Finer","year":"2006","journal-title":"Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health"},{"issue":"Issue 6","key":"pone.0248478.ref032","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"731","DOI":"10.1093\/humupd\/dmy025","article-title":"The psychological impact of early pregnancy loss","volume":"Volume 24","author":"Jessica Farren","year":"2018","journal-title":"Human Reproduction Update"}],"container-title":["PLOS ONE"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/dx.plos.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0248478","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2024,8,28]],"date-time":"2024-08-28T17:19:36Z","timestamp":1724865576000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/dx.plos.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0248478"}},"subtitle":[],"editor":[{"given":"Luisa N.","family":"Borrell","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"editor"}]}],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2021,4,20]]},"references-count":32,"journal-issue":{"issue":"4","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,4,20]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0248478","relation":{},"ISSN":["1932-6203"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1932-6203","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2021,4,20]]}}}