Psychosocial Factors and their Impact on Unsafe Abortion in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana

Abstract

This study was done to ascertain the psychosocial factors and their impact on unsafe abortion in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. One hundred (100) women who had ever had abortion(s) and were visiting the Family Planning Units of the Ridge Hospital and La General Hospital as well as the Obstetric and Gynaecological Unit of the 37 Military Hospital were the participants of the study with ages between 9 and 50 years. Data was collected using a questionnaire and analysed with the Logistic Regression Analysis. The results of the study demonstrated that knowledge of Ghana’s abortion law and religiosity influenced the women’s engagement in safe or unsafe abortion. Abortion stigma, cultural norms and values and knowledge of the existence of safe abortion services, however, did not significantly predict the women’s engagement in safe or unsafe abortion. Recommendations centred mostly on intensifying education of Ghanaian women on their legal rights to safe abortion by the appropriate governmental and other legal education agencies in the country.