The Social Context of Induced Abortions among Young Couples in Côte d'Ivoire

Abstract

The background of the study is the very high prevalence of mortality and morbidity in Sub-Saharan countries due to abortions induced by unsafe methods. This paper draws on fieldwork conducted in 1998 and 1999 in the city of Bouaké in Côte d'Ivoire. The study is based upon qualitative semi-structured interviews with men and women. This paper presents some case stories based on interviews with young women having had an abortion, or with men having had a young partner who has had an abortion, both married and unmarried. It discusses how illegally induced abortion may be understood in relation to ongoing social processes characterised by economic hardship and tensions between the sexes and generations. One important finding is that the young often choose abortion because they cannot count on economic and practical assistance from parents in feeding and raising the child. Parents are also often pushing their children to have an abortion. RÉSUMÉ Le contexte social de l'avortement provoqué chez les jeunes couples en Côte d'IvoireCette étude trouve sa justification dans la très haute prévalence de la mortalité et de la morbidité dans les pays subsahariens causée par les avortements provoqués à travers des méthodes dangereuses. Cet article se fonde sur les recherches menées sur le terrain en 1998 et 1999 dans la ville de Bouaké en Côte d'Ivoire. L'étude est basée sur des interviews semistructurées qualitatives auprès des hommes et des femmes. Cet article présente des basées sur les interviews auprès des femmes qui ont eu un avortement ou bien amprès des hommes qui ont eu un jeune partenaire qui ont eu un avortement, mariées et non-mariées. Il étudie comment l'avortement provoqué illégalement peut être compris par rapport aux processus sociaux en cours qui sont caractérisés par la souffrance économique et les tensions entre les genres et les générations. Une importante découverte est que les jeunes choisissent souvent l'avortement parce qu'ils ne peuvent pas compter sur leurs parents pour l'aide economique et pratique pour nourrir et pour élever l'enfant. Les parents poussent souvent leurs enfants à avoir un avortement. (Rev Afr Santé Reprod 2007; 11[2]:13-23

Association between perceived social support and induced abortion: A study in maternal health centers in Lima, Peru

“…Many reasons might explain these findings. For example, it is well known that family and relatives, especially the support of the father and partner, are important during the period of pregnancy and children growth [ 12 , 17 ]. In addition, education level and socioeconomic status seem to be robustly associated with the perception of social support [ 8 , 13 ], that can be the case as the women enrolled in this study lived in poor areas in Lima.…”

“…Several factors may influence the decision of opting for an induced abortion. These factors include, but are not limited to, age [ 6 ], low levels of education [ 7 , 8 ], marital status [ 9 ], age at first sexual intercourse and number of sexual partners [ 10 ], low socioeconomic status [ 7 ], poor family relationships [ 11 , 12 ] and lack of social support [ 13 ]. Social support, defined as “the perception and authenticity that one is cared for, has assistance available from other people, and that one is part of a supportive social network” [ 14 ], is usually associated with a set of inter-personal relationships that facilitate functional and informative support related to person’s health and condition [ 15 , 16 ].…”

Health-related quality of life and social support among women treated for abortion complications in western Uganda

“…Social support measures were included in the regression models first as a potential confounder, because lack of social support, especially from immediate family, has been cited as a reason why a woman may seek an abortion [7]. However, lack of social support may also independently be associated with poor health related quality of life.…”

“…Social support is particularly important in this setting in light of the significant moral and religious proscriptions to abortions, as well as the attendant social stigma. Lack of social support is commonly cited as a reason for seeking an induced abortion [7], and could conceivably affect HRQoL, even in the absence of abortion or abortion complications. Yet when available, social support is associated with improved psychological outcomes following an abortion, and following treatment for abortion complications [8,9].…”

“I wasn’t ready”: abortion decision-making pathways in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

“…Reasons for terminating pregnancy have been documented in several settings throughout Africa (Bankole et al 1998;Chae et al 2017;Bankole et al 2013;Bleek 1990; Guillaume and Rossier 2018;Svanemyr and Sundby 2007). Women's reasons include a desire to postpone/space childbearing, concerns that they are too young to become parents, are carrying a stigmatized pregnancy (premarital or adulterous relationship' pregnancy, for example) and financial constraints, among many others.…”