Assessing Public Knowledge and Use of Medical Abortion in a General-Interest Mobile Phone Survey in India

• In Event: 1232 - Fertility and Technology

Abstract

We assess the feasibility of measuring awareness, knowledge and use of medical abortion in India. In 2018, we conducted a general-interest mobile phone survey with 3,455 married men and women in Bihar and Maharashtra, two of India’s most populous states. We asked respondents about their knowledge of medical abortion, appropriate timing of the use of pills, and whether they (or their wife) had ever had a medical abortion. Among men and women in Bihar and Maharashtra, one fifth to one third of respondents said that they had heard of medical abortion pills. In Bihar, men were more likely to report having heard of medical abortion. Of those who reported awareness, only about 10% knew the appropriate gestational age for medical abortion. Awareness of medical abortion was positively associated with education and with women’s status within the household. Consistent with results from representative face-to-face surveys, reported use of abortion medication was low. Our findings demonstrate the acceptability of abortion-related questions in a general-interest mobile phone survey. Although medical abortion is likely widespread in India, reporting remains low. Experimentation with question wording or interviewer training could be a way to address the problem of underreporting of use. Inclusion of abortion-related questions in a large-scale, general interest phone survey is a feasible option for assessing public knowledge of medical abortion in India. Because people with less education and social status report lower rates of awareness, efforts to improve public awareness and knowledge of medical abortion may be valuable.

Authors

• Kathleen Broussard, University of Texas

• Payal Hathi, University of California, Berkeley

• Diane Coffey, University of Texas-Austin