For the counsellor
Christiane Der Andreassian, Hospital Broussais, Paris, France
To give information takes time.
Counselling doesn’t need necessary to be done by doctors.
Well trained, nurse or midwife who belongs to the team can easily do it.
Make sure that woman‘s decision to abort is firmly settled.
Listen to the woman’s motivation behind her choice of the method.
Ensure a proper understanding of the method.
Make sure that women is psychologically able to take upon herself and to comply with the
schedules of the appointments, in particular coming back for ultra sound and follow up visit
Be able to reach an emergency area, during the following 2 weeks, in case of problems.
Discuss any concerns at the follow up visit.
What the women say
Avantages of medical abortion
- Pill, no surgical intervention
- Its more natural
- No doctors touching my body
- Conscious and self experience
- Choose to come back for the misoprostol at the clinic or to stay home in their
own environment
Disadvantages of medical abortion
- Not sure when abortion will take place
- More blood loss
- Anxious about cramps, nausea, or eventually diarrhoea
CONCLUSION
Receive the patient in her request,
- With respect
- With a positive attitude,
- Listen to her in the glo
bality of her situation.
- And of course, provide her with the advice’s most relevant to her choice.
- Giving her the relevant information fitted to her case,
- Understand that the team is available if she needs help.
- Allow her to take responsibility for her own actions with more autonomy and confidence
all along the procedure.
A patient correctly informed will be more comfortable and will improve the chances of
succes of method.