Abstract
Introduction: The creation of the wall in the West Bank, curfews, road closures, and enforcement of the Jerusalem identity card and permit system has severely disrupted Palestinian women's access to health facilities and family planning services. A growing body of evidence suggests that decreased access to health services combined with the worsening economic situation is contributing to increased rates of unintended pregnancy and influencing pregnancy intentions. Although abortion in the West Bank is restricted to cases of life or physical health endangerment, abortion through 14 weeks' gestation is legal and available in Jerusalem for a wide array of indications. However, in the absence of a Jerusalem identity card West Bank women must obtain a medical permit in order to enter the city to obtain an abortion. Since 2001, "abortion travel permits" have become more difficult to secure and the process is time consuming, expensive, and non-confidential. Decreased access to Jerusalem-based abortion care has coincided with increased reports of both quasi-legal abortion provision and self-induction practices. Our study aimed to examine the availability of misoprostol for early pregnancy termination in the West Bank.
Methods: Representing approximately 15% of all retail pharmacies in the West Bank, we conducted interviews with pharmacists at 87 retail pharmacies in nine cities. Our interviews included questions on misoprostol knowledge, availability, and provision patterns. We asked pharmacists to reflect on community and clinician awareness of misoprostol and the need for misoprostol among specific groups. We coded and analyzed the interview content for key themes. We combine these results with findings from in-depth interviews with Palestinian women about their abortion experiences.
Results: Pharmacists expressed concern about the high rates of contraceptive failure and unintended pregnancy. Over 75% reported that women come to the pharmacy seeking misoprostol for pregnancy termination and nearly 70% of these pharmacists reported that there has been a considerable increase in requests for misoprostol since the second Intifada. Pharmacists reported varied knowledge about the evidence-based regimens for using misoprostol. Our interviews with women suggest that women are engaging in a number of practices to terminate unwanted pregnancies but most are not aware of misoprostol.
Conclusion: Access to abortion and reproductive health services cannot be separated from the broader context of occupation. However, our study points to several avenues for expanding access to safe(r) abortion services, including misoprostol-only education campaigns targeting pharmacists, clinicians, and women with unintended pregnancies.
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