Skip to content

Uterine Evacuation in Crisis Settings Using Medications and Manual Vacuum Aspiration

Overview

The Uterine Evacuation in Crisis Settings Using Medications and Manual Vacuum Aspiration outreach training is designed for clinical facilitators leading refresher courses for clinicians with reproductive health backgrounds. This includes clinicians already familiar with intrauterine procedures, including manual vacuum aspiration (MVA), and who meet established prerequisites regarding reproductive health care knowledge and skills but may or may not be trained in use of mifepristone and/or misoprostol for uterine evacuation.

This training package includes a slide presentation, learning activities, and other participant materials and resources designed to help health care workers learn the knowledge and skills they need to provide uterine evacuation with medications and first-trimester uterine evacuation using Ipas MVA Plus® Aspirator and EasyGrip Cannulae®. By the end of this training, participants will be able to:

  1. Explain why uterine evacuation is an essential part of reproductive health services in crisis settings
  2. Counsel women seeking abortion in crisis settings
  3. Provide uterine evacuation for women in crisis settings using medications and/or manual vacuum aspiration
  4. Recognize and manage women who develop complications from uterine evacuation with medications or manual vacuum aspiration
  5. Integrate uterine evacuation with medications and manual vacuum aspiration into their present reproductive health services and organize and monitor the services

Course components include discussion and activities to promote sustainability for onsite uterine evacuation services. The course also provides ways to address ongoing training needs in crisis settings that have high staff turnover. It is intended for in-person workshops in crisis settings with limited resources.

Please note that this course focuses on the use of medications and manual vacuum aspiration, rather than comprehensive abortion or postabortion care. For broader training materials on comprehensive abortion care and comprehensive postabortion care, refer to the Ipas Woman-Centered, Comprehensive Abortion Care Facilitator’s Manual (2nd ed.) and other Ipas curricula, available at www.ipas.org.

The training combines content from two previously published uterine evacuation training packages: Uterine Evacuation in Crisis Settings Using Manual Vacuum Aspiration and Uterine Evacuation in Crisis Settings Using Medications, which were designed to be stand-alone trainings.

Course Materials

Components

Course components include:

  1. Presentation slides
  2. Case studies
  3. Interactive activities
  4. Pre- and post-tests
  5. Skills checklists and other job-aids

Options to Download Course Materials

You can access the materials for planning and managing the Uterine Evacuation in Crisis Settings Using Medications and Manual Vacuum Aspiration clinical outreach refresher training using the following links:

Course Units

The training is divided into 9 units.

Jan 29, 2026

Unit 1: Course Overview

IAWG Training Partner Initiative

This unit introduces participants to each other, the course overview, and the course objectives.

Jul 1, 2023

Unit 2: Uterine Evacuation in Crisis Settings

IAWG Training Partner Initiative

This unit explains why uterine evacuation is an essential part of reproductive health services in crisis settings; explores comfort levels in discussing, advocating, and providing uterine evacuation services; and reviews the current abortion law in the setting and how it relates to what and how services are provided.

Jul 1, 2023

Unit 3: Uterine Evacuation Methods

IAWG Training Partner Initiative

This unit explains the various uterine evacuation options and why manual vacuum aspiration (MVA) and medical methods are especially useful in crisis settings; the safety, effectiveness, and possible complications of MVA and medical methods; and the importance of uterine evacuation with MVA as a backup to uterine evacuation with medications. Additionally, it reviews medical eligibility for select methods of postabortion contraception; how to provide method options counseling and contraceptive counseling, and how to obtain informed consent prior to uterine evacuation.

Jul 1, 2023

Unit 4: Clinical Assessment and Eligibility

IAWG Training Partner Initiative

This unit describes how to conduct a clinical assessment before uterine evacuation with medicines and/or MVA, including for postabortion care. Additionally, it reviews medical eligibility, contraindications, and precautions for uterine evacuation with medicines and/or MVA.

Jul 1, 2023

Unit 5: Uterine Evacuation with Medical Methods

IAWG Training Partner Initiative

This unit explains recommended mifepristone and/or misoprostol regimens, the essential information to provide, and the expected effects, side effects, and warning signs of uterine evacuation with mifepristone and/or misoprostol. Additionally, it describes the potential complications of uterine evacuation with mifepristone and/or misoprostol and complications management as well as post-procedure care and follow-up.

Feedback on the Training Materials

The IAWG Training Partnership Initiative is interested in hearing from you. Please share any questions or feedback to info.iawg@wrcommission.org regarding the training materials and their use in your context.