Using Respondent-Driven Sampling to measure abortion safety in restrictive contexts: Results from Kaya (Burkina Faso) and Nairobi (Kenya)

BACKGROUNDDue to restrictive laws and limited service provision, globally the majority of induced abortions are unsafe and remain largely undocumented, despite their negative impact on women's health. OBJECTIVEThe purpose of this study is to test Respondent-Driven Sampling -used previously in HIV research -for abortion, and to measure abortion safety characteristics in the small town of Kaya and surrounding villages (Burkina Faso) and in the slums of Nairobi (Kenya). METHODSA preliminary qualitative study confirmed that women disclose to network members when seeking an abortion.Using RDS, we recruited 481 abortion-seekers from 12 seeds in Kaya (in max. 10 waves) and 551 abortion-seekers from 8 seeds in Nairobi (in max. 5 waves) in 2021.These respondents reported 487 (Kaya) and 595 (Nairobi) abortions in the previous 3 years.