“As it is about that, they do as they please” - Women’s experience of the accessibility and acceptability of postabortion care in Kaya, Burkina Faso

Sep 30, 2026

Uploaded by jayni

Accessing acceptable postabortion care (PAfor remains a major challenge in sub-Saharan Africa, where abortion is legally restricted and highly stigmatized, particularly for young and socioeconomically disadvantaged women. Evidence on the specific obstacles faced by these groups in rural and semi-urban settings is limited. This study explored women’s experiences with PAC quality in Kaya, Burkina Faso, using in-depth interviews (n=35) and additional interviews with local association representatives (n=8). Thematic analysis assessed abortion stigma, and typology analysis examined inequalities in accessibility and acceptability across women’s categories.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages23

Reading Time58 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Study design and participants

Analytical approach

Key findings on stigma and care-seeking

Implications for accessibility and acceptability

OPEN ACCESS Citation: Compaoré R, Rossier C, Owolabi O, Baguiya A, Kim C, Zan M, et al. (2026)“As it isabout that, they do as they please”: Women’s experience of the accessibility and acceptability of postabortion care in Kaya, Burkina Faso. PLOS Glob Public Health 6(1): e0005035 . [https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0005035](https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0005035)[ ](https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0005035)[Editor:](Editor: Julia Robinson)[ Julia Robinson](Editor: Julia Robinson), PLOS: Public Library of Science, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Received: November 28, 2024 Accepted: December 16, 2025 Published: January 8, 2026 Peer Review History: PLOS recognizes the benefits of transparency in the peer review process; therefore, we enable the publication of all of the content of peer review and author responses alongside final, published articles. The editorial history of this article is available here: [https://doi.org/10.1371/journal](https://doi.org/10.1371/journal). pgph.0005035 Copyright: © 2026 Compaoré et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, RESEARCH ARTICLE “As it is about that, they do as they please”: Women’s experience of the accessibility and acceptability of postabortion care in Kaya, Burkina Faso Rachidatou Compaoré1,2*, Clementine Rossier3, Onikepe Owolabi4, Adama Baguiya 1,2, Caron Kim5, Moussa Zan6, Nazi Vincent Bagnoa1,2, Martin Bangha7, Seni Kouanda1,2,8 1 Doctoral School Science, Health and Technology (ED/2ST), Saint Thomas d’Aquin University (USTA), Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, 2 Biomedical and Public health Department, Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé (IRSS), Centre National de Recherche Scientifique et Technologique (CNRST), Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, 3 Institute of Demography and Socioeconomics, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland, 4 Guttmacher Institute, New York, New York, United States of America, 5 Department of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research, UNDP/UNFPA/UNICEF/WHO/World Bank Special Programme of Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction (HRP), World Health Organization (WHO), Geneva, Switzerland, 6 University of Joseph Ki-Zerbo, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, 7 African Population and Health Research Center APHRC, Nairobi, Kenya, 8 African Institute of Public Health, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso * [rachidoc7@gmail.com](rachidoc7@gmail.com) Abstract Accessing acceptable postabortion care (PAfor remains a major challenge in subSaharan Africa, where abortion is legally restricted and highly stigmatized, particularly for young and socioeconomically disadvantaged women. Evidence on the specific obstacles faced by these groups in rural and semi-urban settings is limited. This study explored women’s experiences with PAC quality in Kaya, a small town in Burkina Faso. We conducted in-depth interviews with women (n = 35) who had participated in a respondent-driven sampling survey on abortion safety in 2021 and had sought PAC for abortion-related complications in formal health facilities. Additional interviews were carried out with representatives of local grassroots associations involved in sexual and reproductive health in the town (n = 8) . Thematic analysis was used to examine perceptions of abortion stigma within the community, followed by a typology analysis to identify inequalities in the accessibility (timely, geographically reasonable, and affordable provision of care) and acceptability (patient-centeredness, including cleanliness, privacy, respect and non-judgemental care) of PAC across different categories of women. Both women and association representatives strongly condemned abortion, and the legal exceptions were largely unknown. Abortion stigma was much stronger for young and unmarried women who often sought abortions due to partners denying responsibility and fear of social exclusion. Married women

FAQs

What is the main focus of the study?

The study investigates women’s experiences with the accessibility and acceptability of postabortion care quality in Kaya, Burkina Faso.

How were participants recruited and who was interviewed?

Women (n=35) were interviewed after participating in a 2021 respondent-driven sampling survey, and representatives of local grassroots associations were interviewed (n=8).

Which groups experienced stronger abortion stigma and how did it affect care-seeking?

Abortion stigma was stronger for young and unmarried women, contributing to delayed care-seeking due to fear of social exclusion, while married women faced less stigma in certain circumstances.

Sep 30, 2026

Uploaded by jayni