Quality standard

Quality statement 5: Contraception

Quality statement 5: Contraception

Quality statement

Women having an abortion who want contraception receive their chosen method before discharge, either at the time of their abortion or as soon as possible after expulsion of the pregnancy.

Rationale

Ensuring that women can access their preferred method of contraception at the time of their abortion, or soon after, will reduce the risk of future unintended pregnancies and abortions. It will improve the uptake of contraception and its continued use, as well as the woman's satisfaction with ease of access to contraception.

Quality measures

Structure

Evidence that the full range of reversible contraceptive options is available for women before discharge from an abortion provider, either on the same day as their abortion or as soon as possible after expulsion of the pregnancy.

Data source: Local data collection, for example service specification, rota for staff with skills to administer the full range of contraceptive methods, and return appointments for contraception offered if needed.

Process

Proportion of women having an abortion who want contraception who receive their chosen method before discharge.

Numerator – the number in the denominator who receive their chosen method of contraception before discharge.

Denominator – the number of women having an abortion who want contraception.

Data source: Local data collection, for example audit of patient records.

Outcome

Contraception uptake rate after abortion.

Data source: Local data collection, for example survey of women who have had an abortion.

What the quality statement means for different audiences

Service providers (including secondary care, community genitourinary medical services and independent sector services) ensure that staff are trained to administer long-acting methods of contraception. They also ensure that the full range of options for reversible contraception is available to women before discharge, either on the same day as their abortion, or as soon as possible after expulsion of the pregnancy.

Healthcare professionals (including doctors, nurses and midwives) arrange for the woman's chosen method of contraception to be provided before discharge, either at the same time as the abortion or as soon as possible after expulsion of the pregnancy.

Commissioners (clinical commissioning groups) ensure that they commission abortion services that have the full range of options for reversible contraception available to women before discharge, either on the same day as their abortion or as soon as possible after expulsion of the pregnancy. They ensure that funding is available for abortion providers if a separate appointment to provide contraception is needed.

Women having an abortion who want contraception are able to get their preferred method before discharge from the abortion service, either at the time of their abortion or as soon as possible afterwards.

Source guidance

Abortion care. NICE guideline NG140 (2019), recommendations 1.15.1 and 1.15.3 to 1.15.5