The Government of Bangladesh allows menstrual regulation (MR) as an “interim method of establishing non-pregnancy” regardless of whether women are actually pregnant. MR is widely available across the country and free of cost at public facilities. Despite the wide availability of MR services, accessibility is often restricted due to reasons such as lack of women-friendly environment, failure of health providers to instill confidence in their clients about their services, additional costs for the services, and unauthorized “brokers” who mislead clients to visit private and untrained providers. These barriers have made menstrual regulation with medication (MRM) very popular but have also resulted in its indiscriminate use. MRM is often not used correctly, leading to incomplete abortions and complications. This study was undertaken to obtain a clearer understanding on MRM services, namely gaps in service, barriers to accessing and receiving services, and the needs of women who use MRM.
