Résumé : Four out of every 10 pregnancies among university students in Sucre, Bolivia, end in abortion. The women are 20 years old on average at the time of the first abortion, and 28% have a second or third abortion. 1071 male and female students at the St. Francis Xavier University in Sucre answered anonymous, self-administered questionnaires about abortion. 21 students were interviewed in depth, and a case study of one couple was conducted. Family planning services are clearly needed but unavailable in Sucre, and young people run the risk of sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancy. 88% of the survey respondents reported having access to information on family planning, but only 23% of those sexually active and not desiring pregnancy actually used a method. 82% of respondents reporting abortions were Catholic, 94% were single, 35% lived alone and 25% with their parents. 66% did not use contraception at the time of conception. Half of the users employed rhythm, often incorrectly, and 23% used condoms. 75% of the abortions were performed by physicians. 28% occurred in doctors' offices, 25% in clinics, and 47% in various other places. 57% of the women received no postabortal advice on contraception. 43% of the women reported physical complications, most frequently hemorrhage, pain, and infection and fever. 15% of the women required hospitalization.
Notes : Español/espagnol/Spanish, nbsp;Abstract : Popline (http://db.jhuccp.org/popinform/basic.html) - PIP 134285