Client Satisfaction with Abortion Services at the National Women’s Hospital in Montevideo, Uruguay - 18 Months after Decriminalization

Heidi Schroffel, Emory University
Roger W. Rochat, Emory University
Jennifer Foster, Emory University

Uruguay decriminalized first trimester abortions in October 2012. The law requires women to undergo three consultations with different healthcare professionals, including a multidisciplinary team, to obtain the procedure, followed by an optional post-abortion visit. Since decriminalization, no survey studies have examined client satisfaction with abortion services in the Uruguayan healthcare setting. In this study, we aimed to evaluate abortion clients’ satisfaction at the Pereira Rossell hospital. After intensive training on Uruguay’s newly decriminalized abortion services, the PI observed 20 consultations with women obtaining pre-abortion counseling and post-abortion care. The PI also conducted a self-administered satisfaction survey with 81 abortion clients and examined the differences in satisfaction by demographics and visit type. Overall client satisfaction and perceived support of healthcare professionals were very high. Dissatisfaction was most often due to the legally mandated 5-day waiting period and scheduling delays. We infer that reducing delays would improve client satisfaction with abortion care.