Contraceptive Practices, Preferences, and Barriers Among Abortion Clients in North Carolina.

OBJECTIVES: Abortion clinics provide an ideal setting for women to receive contraceptive care because the women served may not have other contacts with the health system and are at risk for unintended pregnancies. The objective of this study was to understand practices, preferences, and barriers to use of contraception for women obtaining abortions at clinics in North Carolina. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of abortion clients and facilities at 10 abortion clinics in North Carolina. We collected data on contraceptive availability at each clinic. We collected individual responses on women's experiences obtaining contraception before the current pregnancy and their intentions for future use of contraception. RESULTS: From October 2015 to February 2016, 376 client surveys were completed at 9 clinics, and 10 clinic surveys were completed. Almost one-third of women (29%) reported that they had wanted to use contraception in the last year but were unable. Approximately three-fourths of respondents (76%) stated that they intend to use contraception after this pregnancy. Approximately one-fifth of women stated that would like to use long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) after this abortion. Only the clinics that accepted insurance for abortion and other services provided LARC at the time of the abortion (40%). CONCLUSIONS: This study provides a unique, statewide view into the contraceptive barriers for women seeking abortion in North Carolina. Addressing the relatively high demand for LARC after abortion could help significantly reduce unintended pregnancy and recourse to abortion in North Carolina.

Trends in Abortion Incidence and Availability in North Carolina, 1980-2013.

OBJECTIVES: Abortion incidence has declined nationally during the last decade. In recent years, many states, including North Carolina, have passed legislation related to the provision of abortion services. Despite the changing political environment, there is no comprehensive analysis on past and current trends related to unintended pregnancy and abortion in North Carolina. METHODS: This study is a secondary analysis of vital registration data made publicly available by the North Carolina State Center for Health Statistics. Birth and induced abortion records were obtained for the years 1980 to 2013. We describe abortion incidence and demographic characteristics of women obtaining abortions over time. RESULTS: The number of North Carolina abortions declined 36% between 1980 and 2013. The abortion ratio declined from 26/100 pregnancies (live births and abortions) in 1980 to just 14/100 in 2013. These ratios, however, vary across demographic subgroups. In 2013, the abortion ratio was more than 2 times greater for non-Hispanic black women than non-Hispanic white women (22 and 9, respectively). Among non-Hispanic black and Hispanic women, the abortion ratio is greater among women with a previous pregnancy as compared with women in their first pregnancy. For non-Hispanic white women, the abortion ratios are similar for first and higher-order pregnancies. CONCLUSIONS: Trends in North Carolina are similar to national trends; however, detailed analyses by race/ethnicity, age, and parity demonstrate important distinctions among abortion patients over time in the state. We discuss these trends in relation to policy changes and increased access to effective contraceptives.

Family perceptions of end-of-life care for long-term care residents with dementia: differences between the United States and the Netherlands.

OBJECTIVES: To examine cross-national care and outcomes related to end-of-life experiences. DESIGN: Postdeath interviews and self-administered questionnaires completed with family caregivers of residents with dementia who died in long-term care settings or shortly after transfer. SETTING: One hundred eighty-three nursing home and residential care/assisted living settings in the United States and the Netherlands. PARTICIPANTS: Family caregivers of 196 residents with dementia who had died (126 in the United States and 70 in the Netherlands). MEASUREMENTS: Nine standardized measures of care and outcomes and single-item measures of overall quality of care and life. RESULTS: In adjusted and unadjusted analyses, U.S. family caregivers reported better care and outcomes on most of the standardized measures and better quality of care (single item) in the last 3 days of life; caregivers in the Netherlands reported better quality of life (single item) in the last month and 3 days of life. Exploratory analyses related to hospice use found differences in bivariate but not adjusted comparisons. CONCLUSION: Because previous research favored care in the Netherlands to that in the United States, findings suggest improvement in end-of-life care and outcomes in the United States and stability in the Netherlands. Greater hospice use does not explain improvements in the United States directly and may relate, at least in part, to care provided by long-term care staff themselves. Better understanding of the nature and process of these improvements may suggest areas for additional improvement.