Research themes and projects at the Centre for Womens Health, Gender and Society

Project title

Understanding women’s experiences of unplanned pregnancy and abortion

Major research theme

Other major themes

Investigators

  • Prof Doreen Rosenthal, Honorary Professorial Fellow, School of Population Health 
  • Dr Heather Rowe, CWHGS, School of Population Health, The University of Melbourne
  • Dr Shelley Mallett, Melbourne Citymission
  • Ms Annarella Hardiman, Pregnancy Advisory Service Manager, The Royal Women’s Hospital

Research Director

Research Partners

  • The Royal Women’s Hospital
  • Victorian Health Promotion Foundation (Dee Basinski)

Funding

  • ARC Linkage Grant, 2006-2008, $236,000

Summary

The economic, health and social costs to the Australian community of unplanned pregnancies and abortions is a major public health concern. Worldwide, there are few population studies examining which women seek abortions and why they do so. Debates in both policy and public arenas are hampered by a lack of comprehensive, reliable evidence about the incidence of abortion and the factors underlying decisions to terminate unwanted pregnancies.

The main objectives of the study are to:

  • Identify factors associated with unplanned pregnancy and decisions about termination, including age, socio-cultural background, financial circumstances, parity and mental health, among others;
  • Investigate decision-making pathways following access to a pregnancy advisory service;
  • Increase understanding of health problems associated with unplanned pregnancies;-contribute to the understanding of the circumstances of particular sub-populations of women presenting for termination. For example, young women, women who have experienced violence, women of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and women with advanced gestation;
  • Analyse the factors which contribute to barriers and reduced access to services, such as homelessness, mental health and disability;
  • Improve understanding of women’s service needs in order to provide best practice; and
  • Identify factors such as geographic location and demographic characteristics which affect women’s access to pregnancy prevention and abortion services.

The research project has three components:

  • Development and analysis of a database of demographic and psychosocial factors related to terminations conducted at the RWH over a 12 month period.
  • Nested qualitative studies of selected groups of women who present at the RWH seeking terminations; and
  • Interviews with counsellors in the RWH Pregnancy Advisory Service.

Publications

Rowe H, Kirkman M, Hardiman A, Mallett S, Rosenthal D. Considering abortion: 12 month audit of records of women contacting a Pregnancy Advisory Service. MJA. 2008. In press.