Understanding the reasons behind pregnancy terminations and the link with method safety
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Date
2015-04-17
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University of Ghana
Abstract
Studies allude to induced abortion as a contributor to Ghana's fertility
decline, especially since contraceptive use levels have not proportionally
increased, other proximate determinants do not fully exp la in the
discrepancy. If induced abortions are a means through which
Ghanaian women control their births, it behoves us to understand the
reasons behind their pregnancy terminations and the link to the
abortion methods they ultimately use. This paper uses data from the
2007 Ghana Maternal Health Survey and qualitative interviews
conducted in 2008 with patients at Korle Bu and Tema Hospitals.
Women who had ever terminated a pregnancy were purposively
selected and interviewed at the two major hospitals. Additionally
women who had aborted a pregnancy five years preceding the
nationally representative survey were also administered questionnaires
about their abortion experiences.
The results showed that women underwent abortions for five
reasons namely, financial constraints, and to space/limit births, ....
Most women who underwent abortions for the latter did so using safe
methods. The findings also suggested that women terminated
pregnancies mainly to space/limit births and for financial and health
reasons. However those who had abortions for health and non-
readiness reasons were significantly more likely to use safe methods
compared to those who lacked the finances to keep their pregnancies.
The paper proposes that strategies to reduce unplanned pregnancies
that result in pregnancy terminations must be intensified
Description
School of social sciences colloquium
Keywords
Maternal Health, Ghana, Hospitals, abortions