Introduction
In September 2019, the IFPA began a research project to understand service-user experiences of accessing our abortion service.
About the project
The project involves:
- Interviews with service-users
- Analysis of IFPA service activity data to identify trends
- Interviews with IFPA staff working in the abortion service
Your participation
From 7 June 2022, everyone attending the IFPA’s abortion service will be invited to take part in the research project.
Taking part involves a one-to-one interview with the researcher, Alison Spillane, lasting about one hour. The interview will be about your views on accessing the IFPA’s service. The interview is confidential and anonymous and is just like a conversation.
If you are selected for interview, Alison will contact you within two weeks and if you are still happy to participate, you can arrange the interview for a time that suits you. The interview can take place in person, by phone or by videoconference (Zoom, Microsoft Teams).
Your participation in the study is completely voluntary. Your care with the IFPA will not be affected in any way by whether or not you take part in this study.
Research findings
The IFPA will publish a report of the study and findings may also be published in scientific journals. You can find links to these publications at the bottom of this page.
Alison will also write up the results as part of her degree with the School of Social Work and Social Policy, Trinity College Dublin.
In all publications, the anonymity and confidentiality of research participants will be fully protected.
Ethics and oversight
The research is being undertaken by Alison Spillane, the IFPA’s Senior Policy and Research Officer. She has been awarded funding by the Irish Research Council to carry out the research as an employment-based PhD.
The research is supervised by Dr Catherine Conlon (Trinity College Dublin) and Maeve Taylor (Irish Family Planning Association). The project has received ethical approval from the Research Ethics Committee of the School of Social Work and Social Policy, Trinity College Dublin.
Contact
If you have used the IFPA’s abortion service and would like to share your experience, please contact Alison by email at spillaa@tcd.ie.