At the beginning of December 2020, a training for primary care providers and gynecologists working in public institutions, Youth-Friendly Health Centers, and Reproductive Health Centers was organized by the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Social Protection (MoHLSP) in partnership with the Reproductive Health Training Center (RHTC). On December 4, the training was carried out for Romanian-speaking participants and on December 9, for Russian-speaking participants. 

The course was facilitated by RHTC team members involved in the revision of the National Safe Abortion Standards in Moldova, which were approved by the MoHLSP via Order No. 766 on August 18, 2020.

Dr. Rodica Comendant, RHTC Director, began the course by presenting on the steps taken by the working group in aligning the Standards with the most recent World Health Organization (OMS) guidelines, national trends in abortion incidence and quality in Moldova, and general guidelines for providing abortion care throughout the course of pregnancy, as highlighted in chapter 1.

Then, Dr. Stelian Hodorogea, Associate Professor at the State University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Nicolae Testemiţanu”, led a discussion about the following two chapters of the updated Standards, with chapter 2 focusing on pre-abortion examination, consultation, and informed consent and chapter 3 detailing surgical abortion provision measures, including the official ban of dilation and curettage.

Next, Dr. Rodica Comendant covered the new medical abortion guidelines (chapter 4), including permission to offer medical abortion (MA) up to 12 weeks of pregnancy (previously limited to 9 weeks), the possibility to provide MA via telemedicine, and remote follow-up 7-14 days after administration of mifepristone.

Lastly, Dr. Irina Sagaidac, Assistant Professor at the State University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Nicolae Testemiţanu”, provided a detailed overview of the importance of contraception following abortion, routine provision guidelines for pre- and post-abortion contraceptive counseling, and the various methods of contraception from which beneficiaries can choose.

Overall, 109 medical providers participated in the trainings, thus becoming familiarized with modifications and additions included in the new National Safe Abortion Standards. In the coming days, 1500 copies of the Standards will be distributed to primary care providers and gynecologists from across the country.

The revision of the National Safe Abortion Standards in Moldova and printing and distribution thereof has been supported by the Safe Abortion Action Fund as part of the project “Bringing the WHO recommendations on safe abortion closer to women, in countries of Eastern Europe and Central Asia, by supporting the development of national clinical guidelines and protocols on unwanted pregnancy.” 

Below you will find training facilitators’ presentations as well as a full recording of the trainings themselves.

Presentations:

• Standarde intreruperea sarcinii, Rodica Comendant
• Metoda chirurgicală de întreruperea a sarcinii, Stelian Hodorogea
• Contraceptia post avort, Irina Sagaidac

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