Accelerating the pace of progress in South Africa. An evaluation of the impact of values clarification workshops on termination of pregnancy access in Limpopo province.

Abstract

Although legal barriers to safe abortion in South Africa were lifted in 1996 after years of struggle pervasive misunderstanding of the abortion law persists. Ipas South Africa collaborated with the Womens Health Directorate of the Limpopo Department of Health and Welfare (DoH) to create a provincial strategy for expanding and increasing access to termination of pregnancy (TOP) services for women who need them. Together Ipas and the Limpopo DoH conducted 22 values clarification (VC) workshops for approximately 645 community members and health-care providers in the province in 2002 and 2003. The workshops were designed to encourage attitudes and behaviours that favour the protection of womens reproductive rights at the community level and greater compliance with the Choice on Termination of Pregnancy (CTOP) Act at the health-facility level. This study employed a retrospective multi-method design to assess the impact of the workshops at the individual community and facility levels. Qualitative and quantitative assessments of personal transformation were collected from 193 workshop attendees. Knowledge attitudinal and behavioural indicators of change were measured. To gauge the impact of the workshops on the type and quantity of services offered site visits were conducted in 20 hospitals and clinics before and after the intervention. (excerpt)