Table 1

Characteristics of included studies

Reference	Setting	Population	Exact intervention	Comparison	Outcome
Nobili et al.17	Hospital, Italy (San Paolo Hospital of Milan)	Women who have undergone a termination of pregnancy (TOP), Italian nationality, over 18 years, between 1 February 2004 and 31 May 2004	Patient-centred contraceptive counselling for 30 minutes with psychologist and gynaecologist	Routine treatment involving referral to the community health centres post TOP with no follow up	Knowledge regarding contraception (at 1 month) Attitudes regarding contraception (at 1 month) Use of effective contraception (Condoms, contraceptive pill, IUD, vaginal ring, contraceptive patch, emergency contraception) at 1 and 3 months
Langston et al.22	Private practice – family planning clinic, New York, USA	Women seeking a first-trimester procedure for a spontaneous or induced abortion. Over 18 years, no desire to become pregnant right away, fluency in Spanish or English, access to a telephone	Structured and standardised non-directive counselling on contraception with visual and audio components, and contraceptive methods immediately available	Standard care: 1 hour visit by a single physician.	Proportion of participants choosing a highly effective contraceptive method (levonorgestrel IUD, copper IUD, implant, sterilisation). Method initiation on the day of the procedure Method continuation of highly effective and/or effective methods (oral contraceptive pills, vaginal ring, injection, patch) at 3 months and at 6 months
Carneiro Gomes Ferreira et al.18	Teaching hospital, Recife, Brazil	Women undergoing an abortion	Face-to-face counselling on contraception taking into account their own personal contraceptive history. Supply of their chosen method at no cost	Standard care: 30–40 minutes of group education on contraception	Contraceptive acceptability Chosen method after counselling Use of contraceptives during 6 month follow up period Method compliance – consistent and correct use Satisfaction with the method Pregnancy occurrence in first 6 months after abortion
Zhu et al.21	Abortion clinics and hospitals in China	Women <25 years registering any abortion	▸ Training of abortion service providers and provision of service guidelines, according to standard training schedule (2 days) and training module ▸ Group education ▸ Individual counselling of women including information about contraceptive methods and recommendation of the most suitable methods ▸ Free provision of contraceptive materials ▸ Male involvement in group and individual counselling ▸ Referral of women to existing family planning services	▸ Training of abortion service providers and provision of service guidelines, according to standard training schedule (one day) and training module ▸ Provision of information for women (group education) ▸ Referral of women to existing family planning services	Use of contraceptives among sexually active women during 6 month follow up period Use of more effective contraceptives (condoms, oral contraceptives, intrauterine device (IUD), implants) among sexually active women Consistent use, correct use, and both consistent and correct use of condoms among condom users. Regular intake of oral contraceptives (OC) among OC users Pregnancies among all women Repeat induced abortions during the follow-up period plus unwanted ongoing pregnancies which were most likely to end in induced abortions among all women Repeat induced abortions during the follow-up period among all women
Bender and Geirsson20	Hospital abortion clinic, Iceland	Women requesting a first-trimester abortion	Standard care (see comparison) with additional interview with specially trained family planning nurse	Standard care: routine contraceptive information and leaflets from a social worker and a physician who assessed their general health, contraindications and provided prescriptions.	Contraceptive use after abortion Method choice Knowledge and use of emergency contraceptives Knowledge of return of fertility after abortion
Schunmann and Glasier19	Hospital, Scotland (Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh)	Women presenting to the abortion clinic having a termination of pregnancy, with a good grasp of English, not terminating due to a fetal abnormality	15–20-minute interviews, with expert advice given and enhanced provision of contraception. 3 months contraception provided as well as possibility for Implanon^® (not available for control group)	Standard care at the time of study – initial gynaecology clinic consultation and admission to hospital the following week for abortion procedure. Offered one pack of oral contraceptive pill	Contraceptive method uptake and continuation at 16 weeks after termination of pregnancy Subsequent abortion 2 years after start of study