Induced Abortion and Contraceptive Use in the Hohoe Municipality of Ghana

Abstract

Induced abortion has been reported to be the third most significant cause of maternal mortality globally. Whereas the prevalence in the developed countries is declining due to an increased use of contraceptives, the same cannot be said about developing countries. In Ghana 60% of all those who seek for abortion services are below the age of 30years. In the Hohoe municipality of Ghana, more than two-thirds of all maternal deaths recorded in 2006 were due to the complications of unsafe abortion. This study aimed at finding any correlation between induced abortion and contraceptive use in the Hohoe Municipality. The objectives that were looked at include sources of contraceptives, factors that influence contraceptive use, mode of induced abortion and reasons for induced abortion. METHOD: The study design was case-control which was conducted in the Hohoe municipality of the Volta region of Ghana. A purposeful sample of 429 women in their reproductive ages was recruited. These comprised 206 women (case group) who were admitted to the hospital for complications of induced abortion and also antenatal clients who have a history of induced abortion. These were compared with a control group comprising women who were attending antenatal or postnatal clinics and have never obtained induced abortion. Facility-based interviews were conducted using structured questionnaires. Other respondents who had been discharged were traced.