{
    "abstract": "Abortion-related complications are among the common causes of maternal mortality in Malawi. Misoprostol is recommended for the treatment of first-trimester incomplete abortions but is seldom used for post-abortion care in Malawi.\nA descriptive cross-sectional study that used mixed methods was conducted in three hospitals in central Malawi. A survey was done on 400 women and in-depth interviews with 24 women receiving misoprostol for incomplete abortion. Convenience and purposive sampling methods were used and data were analysed using STATA 16.0 for quantitative part and thematic analysis for qualitative part.\nFrom the qualitative data, three themes emerged around the following areas: experienced effects, support offered, and women's perceptions. Most women liked misoprostol and reported that the treatment was helpful and effective in expelling retained products of conception. Quantitative data revealed that the majority of participants, 376 (94%) were satisfied with the support received, and 361 (90.3%) believed that misoprostol was better than surgical treatment. The majority of the women 364 (91%) reported they would recommend misoprostol to friends.\nThe use of misoprostol for incomplete abortion in Malawi is acceptable and regarded as helpful and satisfactory among women.\nOne of the\u00a0major causes of maternal mortality is complications after abortion\u00a0and miscarriages. The importance of post-abortion care in preventing such deaths justifies the necessity of making treatment accessible and available to every woman in need. Misoprostol is one of the approved treatments for incomplete abortion but is rarely used in developing countries. A study was conducted in three hospitals in central Malawi where women filled in a questionnaire and were interviewed after receiving misoprostol for incomplete abortion. The study's goal was to investigate women\u2019s experiences and feelings about using misoprostol. The findings showed that the majority of the women received medication and counselling as a form of support. They expressed satisfaction with the support and described misoprostol as being useful in removing retained products of conception from the womb. The medication was preferred and regarded as a reliable treatment that was also good for women. The majority of the women reported tolerable side effects of the drug and would recommend it to friends. In conclusion, the use of misoprostol for early incomplete abortion in Malawi is acceptable and is regarded as helpful, and satisfactory to women receiving post-abortion care. The research findings support expanding use of misoprostol in post-abortion care in Malawi.",
    "authors": [
        {
            "affiliation": "Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway. bchakhame@kuhes.ac.mw.\nKamuzu University of Health Sciences, Blantyre, Malawi. bchakhame@kuhes.ac.mw.",
            "firstname": "Bertha Magreta",
            "initials": "BM",
            "lastname": "Chakhame"
        },
        {
            "affiliation": "Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.",
            "firstname": "Elisabeth",
            "initials": "E",
            "lastname": "Darj"
        },
        {
            "affiliation": "Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.\nKamuzu University of Health Sciences, Blantyre, Malawi.",
            "firstname": "Mphatso",
            "initials": "M",
            "lastname": "Mwapasa"
        },
        {
            "affiliation": "Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Blantyre, Malawi.",
            "firstname": "Ursula Kalimembe",
            "initials": "UK",
            "lastname": "Kafulafula"
        },
        {
            "affiliation": "Malawi University of Science and Technology, Thyolo, Malawi.",
            "firstname": "Alfred",
            "initials": "A",
            "lastname": "Maluwa"
        },
        {
            "affiliation": "Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.\nSchool of Health Systems and Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0002, South Africa.\nFaculty of Biosciences and Aquaculture, Nord University, Bod\u00f8, Norway.",
            "firstname": "Jon \u00d8yvind",
            "initials": "J\u00d8",
            "lastname": "Odland"
        },
        {
            "affiliation": "Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.\nDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, St. Olav's University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway.\nMalawi-Liverpool-Welcome Trust Research Institute, Blantyre, 312225, Malawi.\nInstitute of Life Course and Medical Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 3BX, UK.",
            "firstname": "Maria Lisa",
            "initials": "ML",
            "lastname": "Odland"
        }
    ],
    "conclusions": null,
    "copyrights": "\u00a9 2023. The Author(s).\n\u00a9 2023. The Author(s).",
    "doi": "10.1186/s12978-022-01549-w\n10.3390/ijerph181910506\n10.1016/j.ijgo.2014.08.022\n10.1371/journal.pone.0173639\n10.1080/07399332.2019.1703991\n10.1016/S0140-6736(22)01474-X\n10.1371/journal.pone.0100728\n10.1186/s12978-019-0683-z\n10.1371/journal.pone.0205239\n10.1186/1471-2393-12-127\n10.18295/squmj.2019.19.01.008\n10.1007/s00404-013-2894-9\n10.1136/bmjopen-2017-016157\n10.1016/j.ijgo.2014.03.028\n10.1016/j.ijgo.2012.05.036\n10.1016/j.ijgo.2012.06.012\n10.1016/j.mefs.2013.05.007\n10.1016/S0968-8080(14)43792-3\n10.1371/journal.pone.0149172\n10.3390/ijerph15020370\n10.1186/s12913-015-1216-2\n10.1097/AOG.0000000000002520\n10.1080/0142159X.2020.1755030\n10.1016/j.tjog.2019.09.004\n10.3109/01443615.2014.930103\n10.1371/journal.pone.0210449\n10.1186/s12884-020-2810-9",
    "journal": "Reproductive health",
    "keywords": [
        "First trimester",
        "Incomplete abortion",
        "Misoprostol",
        "Post-abortion care"
    ],
    "methods": null,
    "publication_date": "2023-02-04",
    "pubmed_id": "36732793\n34639806\n25468057\n28369114\n23895885\n31855511\n36030811\n30702834\n24963882\n30782201\n30356264\n23150927\n31198594\n23708389\n29018067\n24893962\n22935621\n22935620\n25702065\n26872219\n31455626\n29466308\n26677840\n29528925\n32356468\n34325755\n31759522\n24988526\n30629715\n32223759",
    "results": "From the qualitative data, three themes emerged around the following areas: experienced effects, support offered, and women's perceptions. Most women liked misoprostol and reported that the treatment was helpful and effective in expelling retained products of conception. Quantitative data revealed that the majority of participants, 376 (94%) were satisfied with the support received, and 361 (90.3%) believed that misoprostol was better than surgical treatment. The majority of the women 364 (91%) reported they would recommend misoprostol to friends.",
    "title": "Women's perceptions of and experiences with the use of misoprostol for treatment of incomplete abortion in central Malawi: a mixed methods study.",
    "xml": "<Element 'PubmedArticle' at 0x788505fc8db0>"
}