Authors
1 Department of Midwifery and Reproductive Health, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan
2 Legal Medicine Research Center, Legal Medicine Organization, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Some risk factors that would lead to therapeutic abortion do even exist before
pregnancy and could be resolved or corrected through appropriate interventions. The present study
was conducted to evaluate the condition of preconception care among therapeutic abortion applicants.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: This research was a descriptive, cross‑sectional study that was
conducted on 200 applicants for therapeutic abortion at the Forensics Medicine Center of Isfahan (Iran)
who were selected convenience sampling from October 2014 to March 2015. Data were gathered
using a researcher made checklist. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 16 through descriptive
statistics and Chi‑square and independent t‑test.
RESULTS: Eighty‑five percent of the participants were applicants for therapeutic abortion due to
fetal problems, and the other 15% were due to maternal issues. About 41.7% of participants with
fetal problems and all of the participants with maternal issues had not received preconception care.
In 93.3% of the applicants with maternal issues, the disease existed before the pregnancy. About
48.2% of participants needed genetic counseling, but 28.6% had not received any.
CONCLUSIONS: Results showed that in most of the participants, the risk factor for therapeutic
abortion existed before the pregnancy. Providing preconception care along with the elimination
of risk factors before the pregnancy could prevent some of the pregnancies with the indication of
therapeutic abortion.
Keywords
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