Abstract : This study describes the magnitude of abortion in the rural district of South Gonder in north Ethiopia. A total of 1158 women of reproductive age (15-49 years) and who were currently married participated in the study. Lifetime history of abortion was reported by 241 of the women. Of the reported abortions, the majority (91.4%) was spontaneous. Moreover, induced abortion was mainly related to avoidance of pregnancy and poverty. Self-introduction of hard material into the vagina and chloroquine over-dosage were the main methods used for inducing abortion. A history of sexually transmitted disease (P < 0.01) and more than one lifetime marriage (P < 0.01) were associated with an increased risk of abortion. The study indicates that with the rapid growth of population and a decline in agricultural land size per capita in Ethiopia, the rate of induced abortion in rural communities may have a remarkable increase in the near future.
Source : Source Popline : http://db.jhuccp.org/popinform/basic.html - PIP 154333.