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ABORTION-SEEKING BEHAVIOUR AMONG NIGERIAN WOMEN

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 March 2008

AKINRINOLA BANKOLE ,
GILDA SEDGH ,
BONIFACE A. OYE-ADENIRAN ,
ISAAC F. ADEWOLE ,
RUBINA HUSSAIN  and
SUSHEELA SINGH
AKINRINOLA BANKOLE
Affiliation:
Guttmacher Institute, New York, USA
GILDA SEDGH
Affiliation:
Guttmacher Institute, New York, USA
BONIFACE A. OYE-ADENIRAN
Affiliation:
College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Nigeria
ISAAC F. ADEWOLE
Affiliation:
College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Nigeria
RUBINA HUSSAIN
Affiliation:
Guttmacher Institute, New York, USA
SUSHEELA SINGH
Affiliation:
Guttmacher Institute, New York, USA
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Summary

This study used data from a community-based survey to examine women’s experiences of abortion in Nigeria. Fourteen per cent of respondents reported that they had ever tried to terminate a pregnancy, and 10% had obtained an abortion. The majority of women who sought an abortion did so early in the pregnancy. Forty-two per cent of women who obtained an abortion used the services of a non-professional provider, a quarter experienced complications and 9% sought treatment for complications from their abortions. Roughly half of the women who obtained an abortion used a method other than D&C or MVA. The abortion prevalence and conditions under which women sought abortions varied by women’s socio-demographic characteristics. Because abortion is illegal in Nigeria except to save the woman’s life, many women take significant risks to terminate unwanted pregnancies. Reducing the incidence of unwanted pregnancy and unsafe abortion can significantly impact the reproductive health of women in Nigeria.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Biosocial Science , Volume 40 , Issue 2 , March 2008 , pp. 247 - 268
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2007

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