Using respondent-driven sampling to measure the incidence and prevalence of informal sector abortion: A methodological assessment

Unsafe abortion is a preventable cause of maternal mortality and morbidity, yet data on the prevalence and effects of unsafe abortion are fraught with bias. Respondent Driven Sampling (RDS) is a sampling methodology that has been successfully used to estimate the prevalence of sensitive and illegal behaviors among hidden populations. This paper explores the feasibility of applying the RDS methodology to estimate the incidence and lifetime prevalence of informal sector abortion.