To achieve Women's Reproductive Health and Rights objective WRC works towards the following directions:

    Awareness Raising on Reproductive and

Sexual Health

WRC uses every opportunity to spread information on medical abortion, the perspectives and advantages of the new method that became available in the country with cooperation of Gynuity Health Projects.

Activities of raising public awareness were considered necessary to carry out not only in Yerevan, but in the regions as well. A significant importance was given to informing women on safe abortion, on possibilities to acquire knowledgeable consultation of drug usage.

The information Booklets on Medical Abortion have been elaborated and disseminated during the trainings by the doctors-participants (obstetricians - gynecologists) to women during their visits to relevant institutions.The maternal homes and clinics happened to be provided with the large amount of booklets for informational dissemination among the patients as well.

In order to see the booklet, please follow link: http://wrcorg.am/en/publications.htm 

Means of mass media are also engaged in promotion of the method as well.

  Methodological Trainings on Medical Abortion

One of major significance in the process of providing professional information on the methods and mechanisms of medical abortion in Armenia is considered the organization of trainings conducted for gynecologists-obstetricians both in Yerevan city and the regions of Armenia.

WRC educates health professionals to use medical abortion as a new method of reproductive health technologies and train them in research methodology to document the use and acceptability of the method. Trainings also serve to help providers to examine and find out potential barriers to service provision.

On July 10, 2009, at Congress Hotel, Training on Medical Abortion for doctors of maternity hospitals and clinics of Yerevan was organized with participation of 30 physicians from different medical institutions and maternity hospitals. During the training the research introduction and study results carried out in Armenia (2007) in three clinics – Institute of Perinatology, Obstetrics and Gynecology, the Center for Family Planning and Sexual Health and Department of Perinatology, Gynecology and Women’s Reproductive Health of the State Medical University - with 450 pregnant women has been introduced. The training aimed at spreading information on the medical abortion methods used in different countries as well as providing information on the study on medical abortion carried out in three clinics of Yerevan.

A package of relevant materials on medical abortion, including the list of studies, carried out by the Gynuity Health Projects, information booklet about the company, research and program summaries, a booklet on “Medical Abortion”, other booklets, etc., were disseminated among the participants.

In October, 2009 two-day training on Medical Abortion has been held in Gyumri. The target audience was gynecologists-obstetricians from maternity hospitals in Gyumri and other cities of Shirak marz. Another two-day training was organized in Vanadzor region on 01, 02 December 2010 after thoroughly investigation of maternity hospitals and clinics of Obstetrics and Gynecology within Lori region. During the trainings the participants was presented with the schemes, types and various methods of application of medicaments mifepristone and misoprostol. The relevant materials on medical abortion, including information booklet about the company, research and program summaries, a booklet on Medical Abortion have been disseminated as well.

The participants welcomed the efforts to improve the sphere on reproductive health and expressed their preparedness to contribute to the mission.The result of the trainings allows hoping that the MA method will make its way and in the nearest future it will find its wider and proper usage in Armenia as safer and more efficient.

 The Elaboration of Methodological Guideline on Medical Abortion

As a result of consistent work of Women's Rights Center, RA Ministry of Health confirmed elaboration and implementation of clinical guideline for obstetrician- gynecologists on Medical Abortion due to the decree made on June 15, 2010.

With the aim of elaboration of guideline a Working Group has been formed under the supervision of Dr. Gayane Avagyan, (Maternal and Child Health Care Department of the RA Ministry of Health). The Guideline has been prepared with joint efforts of doctor-investigators: Dr. Ruzanna Abrahamyan (Institute of Perinatology, Obstetrics and Gynecology), Dr. Astghik Zargaryan (Center of Family Planning and Sexual Health) and Dr. Armine Harutyunyan (State Medical University and Polyclinic N. 8).Women’s Rights Center was also working in close cooperation with Dr. Tamar Tsereteli, Senior Consulting Associate.

The core of the guideline is providing the general information on how to prepare the pregnant women to Medical Abortion procedures, the methods of consultations on use of contraceptives, the preferences of doctors to use certain methods, etc.In the guideline also presented the detailed demonstration of organization and implementation of Medial Abortion including the regimes, dozes, types, the timelines for applying, the schedule of visits to clinics and follow up control in case the side effects or complications appeared during the abortion implementation. Introduction of present situation of artificial abortion in Armenia also is included in the guideline.

   Travel to research sites

On May 24, 2011 during the travel to research sites Vanadzor Hospital N 1 and Gyumri Maternity Home were visited. The project coordinator Susanna Vardanyan examined all cases finished by that time in Vanadzor. Some of the questions concerning the research were discussed, such as:

- if there has been double usage of medical abortion,

- if any surgical interventions have occurred during the monitoring period,

- prolongation of the project,

- passing medical investigation with women with 8-12 weeks pregnancy and so on.

The doctors have mentioned that women-patients were satisfied with medical abortion very much.There was also mentioned an issue that often women use the medicament at home without consulting with doctors and often come to the hospital with extravasations.

Then an offer was done to present the issue in the Ministry of Health for discussion in order to sell the medicament only with the presence of doctor’s prescription. 

In Gyumri S. Vardanyan examined all cases finished by that time from February 22 to May 24, 2011. The results were satisfying: women preferred medical abortion to surgical. However, there were also some cases when after usage of medicaments, women had strong pains or fever, or they had unpleasant feelings while the medicament was sucking (nearly 30 minutes). In some cases, the extravasations were interrupted with contraceptives, as other means did not help.

In order to see the publication, please enter the link: http://wrcorg.am/en/publications.htm