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

Rominski, Sarah; Bell, April J.; Yawson, Alfred Edwin; Nakua, Emmanuel Kweku; Moyer, Cheryl A.

doi:10.1002/ijgo.12927

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 17 publications

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“…Globally, about 830 women die from pregnancy and childbirth-related complications every day, and abortion accounts for eight percent of these maternal mortality cases [1]. Abortion is one of the public health concerns globally, with its grave effects particularly in developing countries where there are controversial perspectives as well as varied regulatory regimes [2]. Although abortion rates in the developing world have declined significantly since the 1990s, they remain available on religious, moral and political beliefs rather than the medical needs of a woman [3].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pregnancy Termination: Experiences of Women Seeking Post-Abortion Care Services in Ghana

Adde¹,

Darteh²,

Kumi-Kyereme³

2020

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Background: Although abortion is a global health concern, it has a higher negative impact on developing countries due to controversial perspectives and varied regulatory regimes. Depending on whether it is induced or spontaneous, women encounter varying experiences. This study examined the pregnancy termination experiences of women seeking post-abortion care services. Methods: An in-depth interview guide was used to collect data from 20 post-abortion care clients at the Volta Regional Hospital. Data was analyzed manually using a qualitative content analysis technique. Result: The study found that medical abortion was main method of pregnancy termination used by women who had induced abortion. Spontaneous abortion, however, was attributed mainly to engaging in activities that required the use of excessive energy and travelling on bad roads by pregnant women. The study also revealed that women do not seek early post-abortion care services due to stigma and poverty. Conclusion: To encourage women to seek early treatment, the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service should take pragmatic steps in educating women on the dangers associated with delayed post-abortion care services and the factors that expose women to spontaneous abortions.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pregnancy Termination: Experiences of Women Seeking Post-Abortion Care Services in Ghana

Adde¹,

Darteh²,

Kumi-Kyereme³

2020

Preprint

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Experiences of women seeking post-abortion care services in a Regional Hospital in Ghana

2021

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Introduction Abortions remain one of the highest contributors to maternal deaths in Ghana. In 2003, a policy on post-abortion care was introduced to help reduce abortion-related mortality and morbidity. However, depending on the method of pregnancy termination; women encounter varying experiences. This study examines the experiences of women seeking post-abortion care services in a Regional Hospital in Ghana. Materials and methods In-depth interview technique was used to collect data from 20 purposively selected post-abortion care clients at the Volta Regional Hospital. Data were analysed manually using a qualitative content analysis technique. Results The study found that medical abortion was the main method of pregnancy termination used by women who participated in the study to induce abortion. Spontaneous abortion, however, was attributed mainly to engaging in activities that required the use of excessive energy and travelling on bad roads by pregnant women. The study also revealed that, women do not seek early post-abortion care services due to stigma and poverty. Conclusions We found that severity of pain from complications, stigma and financial constraints were factors that influenced women’s decision to seek post-abortion care services. Our findings also suggest that women who experienced spontaneous abortion mainly received financial and emotional support from partners and other family members. To encourage women to seek early post-abortion care services, the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service should take pragmatic steps to educate women on the dangers associated with delay in seeking post-abortion care services and the factors that expose women to spontaneous abortions.

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Contextualizing abortion opinions in Kenya: A vignette-based national survey

Ushie,

Akuku,

Mutuku

et al. 2024

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Objectives: Abortion is a deeply controversial public health issue, evoking diverse opinions regardless of the legal context. Policymaking on abortion often relies on generalized public opinion surveys lacking contextual nuance. We examined public opinions in Kenya towards abortion in circumstances of rape, health risks, and fetal anomalies. Methods: We used a nationally representative sample of 8,942 adults in Kenya, drawn from a database of 12 million phone users in Kenya. Using a two-stage sampling approach with random digit dialing, the sample was stratified by location, sex, and age to facilitate proportional representation. We utilized a questionnaire adopted from a vignette-based tool, with scenarios describing threats to the life or health of the pregnant woman, fetal anomaly, and rape. The tool had 14 opinion statements corresponding to each vignette and three questions on whether respondents support women’s abortion rights in these circumstances. Trained interviewers administered the questionnaire through telephone between October and November 2022. We employed multivariable-adjusted linear regression to assess factors influencing abortion opinions. Results: Most respondents (>61%) favored women’s right to abortion when pregnancies threaten their life or health, compared to 29% and 44% who supported it in cases of rape or fetal anomaly. There was significant support for abortion to be performed by the public health system, compared to abortion as a woman’s right. Generally, the liberal constructs had higher mean scores than the conservative constructs, and the women’s reproductive autonomy had the highest mean score (3.44±1.07) among all the constructs, suggesting widespread agreement that abortion decisions should rest solely with the pregnant woman. Conversely, among conservative constructs, the sanctity of life had the highest mean score (2.40±0.89), showing a strong belief in the sanctity of life among abortion opponents. Conclusion: Abortion opinions vary depending on the circumstances, with significant support for legal abortion under diverse contexts. Public policy should reflect these contextualized opinions and address specific impediments to support, especially towards legalization as a public health, gender equality and human rights imperative.

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

Cited by 3 publications

References 17 publications

Pregnancy Termination: Experiences of Women Seeking Post-Abortion Care Services in Ghana

Pregnancy Termination: Experiences of Women Seeking Post-Abortion Care Services in Ghana

Experiences of women seeking post-abortion care services in a Regional Hospital in Ghana

Contextualizing abortion opinions in Kenya: A vignette-based national survey

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