Menstrual Regulation, Other Methods of Voluntary Pregnancy Termination and Maternal Mortality in Matlab, Bangladesh

Mizanur Rahman, MEASURE Evaluation
Julie DaVanzo, RAND Corporation
Abdur Razzaque, ICDDR,B

Both menstrual regulation (MR), presumably a relatively safe method, and other unsafe methods are used for voluntary pregnancy termination (VPT) in Bangladesh. Little is known about the comparative mortality risks associated with these methods. We use data from the Matlab Demographic Surveillance System on 121,464 pregnancy outcomes between 1989 and 2008 to compare maternal mortality risks associated with MR, other methods of VPT (OVPT), and live birth (LB) in the Comparison Area and the Maternal Child Health-Family Planning (MCH-FP) Area of Matlab. Case fatality from MR was 2.49 times higher than that for LBs in the Comparison Area; the corresponding odds ratio (OR) for the MCH-FP Area is 0.76. ORs of mortality from OVPT are 7.19 and 10.61, respectively, compared to LBs and 2.89 and 13.93 compared to MR, respectively. Systematic evaluations of MR services in Bangladesh are needed to understand the causes of high fatalities from MR.