Submission ID 131254
| Issue/Objective | Self-managed abortion (SMA) is an important pathway for expanding access to safe abortion care where stigma, misinformation, and limited service availability shape women's options. WHO recognizes self-management as part of comprehensive abortion care and emphasises person-centred, enabling support as essential to safe care. This study examines women's experiences with SMA in Cameroon, identifies gaps in person-centred support across first- and second-trimester abortion journeys, and explores implications for strengthening community accompaniment, counselling, and hotline-based support. |
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| Methodology/Approach | I used a qualitative, community-informed approach to examine experiences of women seeking SMA-related support and the perspectives of those providing accompaniment and counselling. The analysis was guided by person-centred abortion care domains, including dignity, autonomy, communication, privacy, supportive care, social support, and trust, which have been shown to matter to abortion seekers across settings. Data were organised around abortion-seeking pathways, with attention to information needs, emotional support, privacy, referral processes, and the handling of more complex cases, including later gestational ages. |
| Results | Findings highlight that women value respectful communication, non-judgmental support, timely answers to questions, and clear information on what to expect, danger signs, and when to seek additional care. Gaps included misinformation, fear of disclosure, inconsistent counselling quality, weak referral linkages, and limited tailored support for second-trimester cases. Women also described the importance of privacy, emotional safety, and the option to involve a trusted companion only when desired, while accompaniment providers reported challenges in balancing support with confidentiality and autonomy. A major lesson was that trust is built not only through accurate information, but through continuity, responsiveness, and care that validates women's decisions without requiring justification. |
| Discussion/Conclusion | Person-centred SMA support in Cameroon should move beyond information provision alone to include confidential counselling, structured follow-up, clear escalation pathways, and community-based accompaniment that protects autonomy and safety. Strengthening hotlines, training trusted community supporters, and linking community support to referral networks can improve access for women seeking both first- and second-trimester abortion care while reducing delays and harmful misinformation. These findings contribute directly to the conference theme by showing how local, rights-based, community-led support can restore equity in abortion care in a fragmented health system. |
| Presenters and Affiliations | Baloli Victorine Namolongo Vision In Action Cameroon NGUAFAC Peter TEMATE Fongeh Vision In Action Cameroon (VIAC) Baloli Victorine Namolongo Vision In Action Cameroon (viac) NGUAFAC Peter TEMATE Fongeh Vision In Action Cameroon (VIAC) |
