Induced abortion in Latin America: Strategies for future social research

Abstract

fhispaper analyses the present stale ofknowledge on induced abortion in Latin America based on a critical review ofinformation from regional meetings and seminars in the 1990s and articles in international journals in the field.' It focuses on the incidence of abortion, the abortion decision-making process, and thepolitical and public dimensions ofinduced abortion, and discusses theoretical and methodological aspects ofabortion research, and ethical andpolitical concerns. It calls for the consolidation of the data obtained to date; the introduction ofnew theoretical frameworks and approaches from other disciplines; the reduction ofinequalities in the available knowledge between countries in the region through national and comparative research; and deeper analysis of the political dimensions of induced abortion, particularly matters of legislation, public debate and health programme development.

Unsafe abortion in 2008: global and regional levels and trends

“…9 For these estimates thousands of papers were screened to select relevant materials that provided new data or information. These materials were identified from bibliographic databases; websites of relevant organizations; and by country searches for the most up-to-date data, including ministry of health and other official sites.…”

The paradox of access - abortion law, policy and misoprostol

“…Information relevant to understanding and measuring unsafe abortion covers data from hospital records and surveys, research on abortion providers, unsafe abortion methods, abortion-seeking behaviour, postabortion care, and legal developments.Where induced abortion is highly restricted, its occurrence can be estimated only indirectly, using the available incomplete information on incidence and mortality. 68 For these estimates a large number of papers were systematically screened to select significant materials identified from bibliographic databases; web sites of relevant organizations were surveyed; and pointed country searches for the most up-todate data, including ministry of health and other official sites, were carried out. Those were assessed together with the existing data to ascertain the current situation with regard to abortion laws, policies and practice in the different countries.…”

Abortion Opinion Research in Latin America and the Caribbean: A Review of the Literature

“…The vast majority of the 26 qualifying articles report on studies conducted in Brazil or Mexicothe countries with the largest Catholic and Spanishspeaking populations in the world, respectively (PRB 2005). This imbalance may be due, in part, to the strong research capacity in these countries and the geographic priorities of international donors interested in abortion research (Llovet and Ramos 1998). Research from lowand middle-income countries, such as those of the LAC region, is notoriously underrepresented in the international health literature (Langer et al 2004).…”