Self-Reported Abortion-Related Morbidity: A Comparison of Measures in Madhya Pradesh, India (Report‪)‬

CONTEXT: Globally, abortion-related morbidity places a largely unmeasured physical, social and economic burden on women, yet little research has examined population-level morbidity, particularly in developing countries. METHODS: Data were drawn from a representative 2002 survey in Madhya Pradesh, India, of married women aged 15-39 who had at least one child; the analysis examined 966 abortion attempts associated with 737 pregnancies. The prevalence and severity of self-reported morbidity were determined using a symptom-based measure and a bed rest-based measure. Comparative and concurrency analyses assessed how the measures captured and categorized morbidity, and how their results differed between rural and urban settings and by provider and method used.