USA: Use of online information about early abortion

This study analyses the use patterns of multiligual website dedicated to three methods of early pregnancy termination: mifepristone/misoprostol, methotrexate/misoprostol and misoprostol alone. 

Ibis Reproductive Health, 2 Brattle Square, Cambridge, MA 02138: This study analyses the use patterns of an English-, Spanish-, Arabic- and French-language website dedicated to three methods of early pregnancy termination: mifepristone/misoprostol, methotrexate/misoprostol and misoprostol alone. It examines both the overall and language-specific use patterns of the website from October 1, 2004, through September 30, 2005. Data were recorded using Wusage 8.0, a website statistics programme.

Over the 12-month study period, received more than 78,000 visits and nearly 240,000 page requests. The English version is the most popular version of the web site (accessed in 46.1% of all visits), followed by the Spanish (35.0%), Arabic (10.4%) and French (8.8%) versions. Spanish-language visits are nearly three times as likely to access the misoprostol-only section of the website when compared with the other language versions (p<.001).

The authors concluded that this study confirms that multilingual, medically accurate online resources have the potential to expand information about medication abortion to both providers and women considering the option of abortion in diverse communities. Analysis of the language-specific use patterns highlights the different priorities of various types of website visitors and suggests future priorities for educational outreach, collaboration and research.

Providing medication abortion information to diverse communities: use patterns of a multilingual web site. Foster AM, Wynn L, Rouhana A, Diaz-Olavarrieta C, Schaffer K, Trussell J. Contraception. 2006 Sep;74(3):264-71. Epub 2006 Jun 6.