Providers should offer counseling on family planning following any PAC service, because women can regain their fertility as soon as 14 days af­ter an abortion and before the next menses. As an essential element of PAC, before leaving the health facility every woman treated for complications from an abortion should be aware that pregnancy can occur immediately and use of a contraceptive method can prevent an unwanted pregnancy, if the woman wishes a method. For those women who select a method at the time of treatment, counseling should include: assessment of the woman‘s personal situation, contraceptive options (almost all methods can be started immediately following PAC procedures), method use, side effects of the method selected, and resupply options. In countries where STI/HIV/AIDS is prevalent, providers should encourage dual protection (Rogo, Lema, and Rae, 1999).

Possible alternative indicators may include:

• Percent of PAC patients who receive family planning counseling at the time of service;
• Percent of PAC patients who accept a contra­ceptive method at the time of service; and
• Percent of PAC patients at risk of HIV/STI re­ferred for testing and counseling