Abortion Timing, Access, and Trajectory Study (ATAS): Study Protocol

Abstract

Abstract Background This study protocol outlines the phased construction of a questionnaire, data collection, and a strategy for analysis, within the framework of the ATAS project. The study has two primary objectives. First, it allows us to map the duration of the various phases of the abortion trajectory for women presenting for abortion in Flanders, Belgium. Second, it identifies barriers that cause delays within these phases. Methods The questionnaire is presented to all women seeking abortion care in one of the Flemish abortion centers; specifically, the LUNA centers located in Ostend, Ghent, Antwerp, and Hasselt, as well as the VUB-Dilemma center in Brussels during the fall of 2023. Ethical clearance for the described research was obtained from the University of Antwerp's Ethics Committee for the Social Sciences and Humanities (reference numbers: SHW_2023_48_1 and SHW_2023_48_2). Discussion The collected data will provide a dataset on abortion trajectories of women presenting for abortion in Flanders. This study protocol outlines the ATAS project’s rationale, the phased development, and implementation of the questionnaire, as well as the upcoming data analyses. To our knowledge, this is the first study within the Flemish context to investigate abortion timing, access, and trajectories. Furthermore, this study protocol provides a phased and systematic approach to adapt validated research instruments to fit within diverse legal and cultural contexts.