TY - JOUR T1 - Why we need a validated tool for measuring knowledge and attitudes regarding long-acting reversible contraception and early medical abortion in women from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds JF - BMJ Sexual & Reproductive Health JO - BMJ Sex Reprod Health DO - 10.1136/bmjsrh-2020-200956 SP - bmjsrh-2020-200956 AU - Melissa Tawiah AU - Danielle Mazza AU - Asvini K Subasinghe Y1 - 2021/03/19 UR - http://jfprhc.bmj.com/content/early/2021/03/19/bmjsrh-2020-200956.abstract N2 - Unplanned pregnancy remains highly prevalent in high-income nations. Approximately one in four women will experience an unplanned pregnancy and 30% of these pregnancies end in abortion with rates higher in some developed countries. Women from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds may experience higher rates of unplanned pregnancies, compared with local women. This is due to a myriad of factors and barriers including poor uptake of long-acting reversible contraception/contraceptives (LARCs), though the data is limited. There is also limited data on the awareness of unintended pregnancy options such as early medical abortion (EMA). LARCs are globally accepted and recommended by international bodies and the World Health Organization (WHO) due to their high efficacy at reducing unintended pregnancies. EMA is a safe, non-invasive and alternative method to surgical abortion which can be undertaken in the first trimester of pregnancy. Developing a culturally sensitive, validated tool to measure knowledge and attitudes regarding LARCs and EMA can lead to the development of targeted interventions to reduce unintended pregnancy in women from CALD backgrounds. This editorial highlights the gap in the medical literature regarding a culturally sensitive, validated instrument for measuring knowledge and attitudes towards LARCs and EMA in women from CALD backgrounds. This gap was revealed by undertaking a rapid systematic review of the literature using four databases and a highly sensitive search filter to identify validated survey instruments. No viable tools were identified. Thus, the importance of a validated survey instrument is highlighted … ER -