A community based study on socio-demographic characteristics of women reporting an induced abortion

Abstract

The objective was to study the sociodemographic characteristics and contraceptive practices among married women of the reproductive age group reporting an induced abotion, in comperison with a group of women who did not report such an experience. The women reporting and induced abortion during the three years presending the survey constituted the "Cases" and a group of women matched for year of birth and year of marriage with each "case" constituted the :controls". The two groups were found to be comparable in respect of the socio economic indicators studied and the knowledge of contraceptives. However, in contraceptive use there were marked deferences between the two groups. The contraceptive prevalence at abortion when compared to the "controls" at a similar duration of marriage was low. Furthermore, among those who had used a method, the prevalence of permanent methods in "cases" was signifiv=cantly lower than in controls, while the use of traditional methods was higher among the "cases". Contraceptive use among the increased after abrtion but there was very little increase in methods like IUCD and injectables. The current contraceptive practice among those not wanting more children among both cases and controls, appearrs unsatisfactory. Nearly 75perc. of those who stated a reason for seeking an induce abortion appear to have done so as a method of family planning. The study highlights the need for convenient to use, safer, effective, long term temporary methods of family planning and the need to reach younger cohorts of women in the early years of marriage