Evaluation of a Multi-Pronged Strategy to Improve Young Women’s Access to Reproductive Health Services, including Abortion, in Jharkhand, India

Kathryn Andersen, Ipas
Sushanta Banerjee, Ipas Development Foundation, Delhi
Janardan Warvadekar, Ipas Development Foundation, Delhi
Paramita Aich, Ipas Development Foundation, Jharkhand
Amit Rawat, Ipas Development Foundation, Delhi
Bimla Upadhyay, Ipas Development Foundation, Delhi

This study evaluates a multi-pronged community intervention in rural Jharkhand that aimed to increase awareness about and access to youth-friendly reproductive health services, including abortion. We conducted two cross-sectional household level surveys using two stage systematic random sampling among women age 15-24 in two intervention and two control blocks in the state of Jharkhand. Difference-in-difference models adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics found that the intervention was associated with knowledge about: legality of abortion (AOR=5.1; 95% CI=1.7 – 16.5), where to go for abortion services (AOR=1.9; 95% CI=1.3 – 2.8), and abortion legality (AOR=9.4; 95% CI=2.5 – 34.8); receiving messages on SRH (AOR=14.2; 95% CI=9.0 – 22.3), and receiving messages on safe abortion issues (AOR=8.3; 95% CI=5.0 – 13.7). There was no association with use of SRH services in public sector facilities (AOR=1.0; 95% CI=0.6 – 1.6). This multi-pronged intervention successfully reached young rural women and improved knowledge, especially related to abortion.