Gilda Sedgh|Sarah C. Keogh
Novel approaches to estimating abortion incidence
Guttmacher Institute|Guttmacher Institute
countries abortion legally restricted clandestine estimates abortion incidence needed order bring attention reality practice innovations methods estimating stigmatized behaviors coupled changes conditions women obtain abortions prompt us review new approaches estimating abortion incidence propose innovations field discuss five approaches yielding accurate estimates countries restrictive abortion laws include two prevailing approaches field direct questioning women abortions abortion incidence complications method aicm one begun use recent years list experiment two newly proposed authors confidante approach modification aicm discuss assumptions strengths weaknesses approach finally suggest strategies assessing validity findings absence gold standard though direct questioning consistently shown miss many abortions reporting potentially improved normalizing reframing experience abortion aicm advantage relying womens reports abortions however selfinduced abortion becomes common strength becomes weakness modified aicm uses womens abortion reports estimate proportion abortions lead treated complications improves chances capturing selfinduced abortions list experiment preserves womans anonymity confidentiality cognitively challenging potential make subgroup estimates extremely limited confidante approach entails asking survey respondents abortions among women confide rather abortions adjustment factor applied estimate incidence confidantes abortions unknown respondents approach relies assumption women know report whether confidantes abortion absence gold standard measure abortion incidence four strategies employed compare assess approaches comparing level underreporting across methods susceptible underreporting overreporting 2 validating components abortion estimates objective measure 3 testing whether strategies accurately estimate sensitive behaviors gold standard exists 4 sensitivity analyses ultimately might appropriate employ one methodology measuring abortion incidence