Question pretext
Thank you, now we will go over the informed consent.
[Read out loud]
disclaimer CONSENT TO PARTICIPATE IN THE RESEARCH STUDY
Informed Consent Forms for Respondent-Driven Sampling Survey
Greetings: My name is ________________. I am working with the African Population and Health Research Center in partnership with the Guttmacher Institute. We are conducting a research study on reproductive health care provision in order to improve these services.
Introduction
You are invited to take part in this research study. Before you decide whether to participate, you need to understand why the research is being done and what it will involve. Please take the time to listen as I read the following information. Let me know if anything is unclear, or if you would like more information. When all your questions have been answered and you feel that you understand this study, you will be asked if you wish to participate in the study.
Purpose of the research study
We are interviewing women about their experiences with abortion. The purpose of the study is to obtain information that can help improve health care for women who obtain abortions in Kenya. You were selected as a possible participant in this study because you volunteered to be interviewed about your experience. We are inviting all women who contact us with the referral coupon you received from someone you know to participate in this study.
Risks
There are some potential risks to participating in this study. One risk is that some of the questions may make you uncomfortable. You may skip these questions or any others that you are unwilling or unable to answer. You may also stop the interview at any time.
There is also a risk, if someone is nearby while you are being interviewed, that they may be able to see or hear your answers. We will seek out a private location for the interview to reduce the risk of this happening. However, if this occurs, we may discontinue the interview and reschedule it for another time and place.
If a member of the research team that you have been in contact with has developed symptoms of COVID-19, we will contact you to inform you of the exposure. However, if we do not have a phone number to contact you with, we will not be able to inform you of the exposure.
We note the circumstances leading to a pregnancy may vary among different participants. If you are in need of support services related to a previous or current pregnancy for any reason, we can provide information on local resources, including counseling or other services, related to these concerns at your request.
Benefits
There are no direct benefits to you for participating in the study. To compensate you for your time answering our questions, you will receive 500 shillings. You may find an indirect benefit in knowing you have participated in an important project that could help others in the future. This research will improve the understanding of abortion in Kenya, which could lead to better services for many women.
Confidentiality
We will do our best to keep your answers confidential. That is, participants will not be identified by their name or other identifying information, meaning that your name and address will not be collected. Your phone number used to inform you of a COVID-19 exposure will be stored separately from the information that you provide during this interview and will only be kept for one week following the date of your interview.
To further protect your confidentiality, this survey data will be kept on a secure server and will only be available to the research team.
Three years after the publication of the study report, the study data will be archived without containing any information that could identify you. These data may eventually be used by other researchers who are not on the study team. However, data shared with individuals outside of the study team will not include information that could identify you. None of the information that identifies you will be quoted anywhere.
Voluntariness
Your participation in this study is entirely voluntary. Your decision about whether to participate in the study and any answers you provide to questions will be not be shared with anyone outside of the study team. There is no penalty for refusing to take part, and you are free to withdraw your consent at any time. If you agree to participate, you are free to skip any questions and you may end the interview at any time without penalty. You may refuse to provide your phone number, and you may still participate in the study.
Additional Information
The results of the study will be published in a report and in scientific papers. If you are concerned about any aspect of the study, you may ask to speak to the project team who will do their best to answer your questions. Any complaint about the way you have been treated during the study, or any harm you might have suffered, will be given full attention by the project coordinator. You may call APHRC project coordinator for RDS at +254 726 902835.
We would greatly appreciate your help in allowing an interview. It will take approximately 60 minutes to complete.
Question post text
[Indicate if verbal consent was obtained]
