Is abortion justified to save the life or health of a woman? Evidence of public opinion from Accra, Ghana

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dc.contributor.authorYawson, A.E.
dc.contributor.authorRominski, S.D.
dc.contributor.authorBell, A.J.
dc.contributor.authorNakua, E.K.
dc.date.accessioned2019-11-27T12:10:01Z
dc.date.available2019-11-27T12:10:01Z
dc.date.issued2019-08-06
dc.descriptionResearch Articleen_US
dc.description.abstractObjective: In this study, we sought to determine to what extent the abortion law in Ghana is reflective of public opinion. Methods: In a cross-sectional, community-based survey, individuals in two fishing communities in Accra were interviewed about their beliefs on abortion between May and July 2016, and sociodemographic, attitudinal, and experience data were collected. Factors associated with the outcome variable (abortion is justified to save the life/health of the woman: Yes/No) were entered into a multivariate logistic regression. Results: A total of 508 participants completed the survey. Thirty-nine percent (n=198) of the sample agreed that abortion was justified to save the life/health of the woman, with no significant differences in this finding when controlling for understanding of the law, gender, marital status, or personal experience of abortion in multivariate analysis. Higher education (odds ratio [OR] 1.64 [P<0.001]) and older age (OR 1.28 [P<0.001]) are positively associated with abortion being justified to save life/health, while those who have had an experience of unwanted sex are less likely to believe that (OR 0.60 [P=0.029]). Conclusion: The participants held conservative views about the justification of abortion to save a woman's life and/or health. Improving access to safe abortion services will require acknowledgment of the broader social and cultural context that may make accessing such services difficult.en_US
dc.description.sponsorshipInstitute for Research on Women and Gender; University of Michiganen_US
dc.identifier.otherDOI: 10.1002/ijgo.12927
dc.identifier.urihttp://ugspace.ug.edu.gh/handle/123456789/33868
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherInternational Journal of Gynecology & Obstetricsen_US
dc.relation.ispartofseries147;1
dc.subjectAbortion lawsen_US
dc.subjectAttitudes toward abortionen_US
dc.subjectGhanaen_US
dc.subjectUnsafe abortionen_US
dc.titleIs abortion justified to save the life or health of a woman? Evidence of public opinion from Accra, Ghanaen_US
dc.typeArticleen_US

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