The objective of this study was to determine if pregnant, literate women and female community health volunteers (FCHVs) in Nepal can accurately determine a woman’s eligibility for medical abortion using a toolkit, compared to comprehensive-abortion-care-trained providers.

Women presenting for first-trimester abortion, and FCHVs, independently assessed each woman’s eligibility for medical abortion using a modified gestational dating wheel to determine gestational age and a nine-point checklist of medical abortion contraindications or cautions. Ability to determine eligibility was then compared to experienced CAC-providers using Nepali standard of care. Both women and FCHVs accurately interpreted the wheel 96% of the time, and the eligibility checklist 72% and 95% of the time, respectively. Further refinement of the eligibility tools, particularly the checklist, is needed before their widespread use.