Experiences of Non-Medically Indicated Abortions Among Educated Nigerians

Sa’adatu Talatu Sule; Boubacar Dieng; Shedrack Anekwe

doi:doi:10.11648/j.jgo.20221006.15

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Experiences of Non-Medically Indicated Abortions Among Educated Nigerians

Sa’adatu Talatu Sule, Boubacar Dieng, Shedrack Anekwe

Published in Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics (Volume 10, Issue 6)

Received: 16 November 2022 Accepted: 1 December 2022 Published: 15 December 2022

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Abstract

Termination of pregnancy for non-medical indications is one of outcomes of unwanted pregnancy. Majority of unwanted pregnancies can be prevented using effective modern contraceptives, however, the uptake of these contraceptives is low in Nigeria. This study was carried out to assess the prevalence of abortions among Nigerians with a view to planning effective services to prevent and manage such abortions within the limits of the law in Nigeria. The study was an anonymous online survey carried out using Google Forms. Statistical analyses including rates and comparative analyses were carried out using MINITAB statistical software version 19. Non-medically indicated abortions had been experienced by 21% of all respondents and 29% of female respondents. About half of these had experienced one abortion while the rest had two or three abortions, and a large proportion (>40%) had never been accompanied by their spouse/partner for the abortion service. Majority of the abortions occurred when the respondents were not married (>60%) and the woman was involved in the making the decision to terminate the pregnancy in up to 90% of cases (50% as the sole decision maker and 40% as a partner in joint decision making). Evacuation by a health worker was the method of abortion in 65% of cases while the medication abortion alone was used in 25% of cases and the rest were carried out using medication abortion followed by evacuation. Use of withdrawal method for contraception and sexual challenges were significantly associated with non-medically indicated abortions. Non-medically indicated abortions are common among educated Nigerians and are more common among those using less effective methods of contraception like the withdrawal method. There is a need for increased access to high quality contraceptive information and services to improve the reproductive health of Nigerians.

Published in	Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics (Volume 10, Issue 6)
DOI	10.11648/j.jgo.20221006.15
Page(s)	264-269
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2022. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Abortion, Contraception, Nigerians, Online Survey

References

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[2]	Bankole A., Adewole I. F., Hussain R., Awolude O., Singh S., & Akinyemi J. O. (2015). The incidence of abortion in Nigeria. International Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 41 (4), 170–181, doi: 10.1363/4117015
[3]	Bankole A., Sedgh G., Oye-Adeniran B. A., Adewole I. F., Hussain R., & Singh S. (2008). Abortion-seeking behaviour among Nigerian women. Journal of Biosocial Science, 40 (2), 247-68. doi: 10.1017/S0021932007002283. Epub 2007 Aug 22. PMID: 17711597
[4]	Yaya S., Amouzou A., Uthman O. A., Ekholuenetale M., Bishwajit G., Udenigwe O., et al. (2018). Prevalence and determinants of terminated and unintended pregnancies among married women: analysis of pooled cross-sectional surveys in Nigeria. BMJ Global Health, 3: e000707. doi: 10.1136/bmjgh-2018-000707
[5]	Mitsunaga T. M., Larsen U. M., & Okonofua F. E. (2005) Risk factors for complications of induced abortions in Nigeria. Journal of Women’s Health (Larchmt), 14 (6), 515-28. doi: 10.1089/jwh.2005.14.515. PMID: 16115006
[6]	Owonikoko K. M., Oyelade F. O., Oke O. F., & Adeyemi A. S. (2018). Contraception usage among young adult men of a Nigerian university. International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health, 12; 31 (1). doi: 10.1515/ijamh-2016-0145. PMID: 29329104.
[7]	Ameh N., Adesiyun A. G., Ozed-Williams C., Ojabo A. O., Avidime S., Umar-Sullyman H., et al. (2009). Reproductive health in Nigeria. Journal of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology, 22 (6), 372-6. doi: 10.1016/j.jpag.2009.01.002. Epub 2009 Jul 2. PMID: 19576818
[8]	Ojo I. E., Ojo T. O., & Orji E. O. (2021) Why do married women procure abortion? Experiences from Ile-Ife, south western Nigeria. African Health Sciences, 21 (1), 327-37. https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ahs.v21i1.42
[9]	Tsui A., Casterline J., Singh S., Bankole A., Moore A., Omideyi A., et al (The Contraception and Abortion Study Team). (2011) Managing Unplanned Pregnancies in Five Countries: Perspectives on Contraception and Abortion Decisions. Global Public Health, 6 (01), S1–24. doi: 10.1080/17441692.2011.597413.
[10]	National Population Commission (NPC) [Nigeria] and ICF. (2019). Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey 2018. Abuja, Nigeria, and Rockville, Maryland, USA: NPC and ICF.
[11]	Bola SL. (2016). Spousal violence and pregnancy termination among married women in Nigeria. African Health Sciences, 16 (2): 429- 440. http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ahs.v16i2.11
[12]	Katz A. J., Ramirez A. M., Bercu C., Filippa S., Dirisu O., Egwuatu I., et al. (2022). “I just have to hope that this abortion should go well”: Perceptions, fears, and experiences of abortion clients in Nigeria. PLoS ONE, 17 (2), e0263072. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0263072
[13]	Byrne M. E., Omoluabi E., OlaOlorun F. M., Moreau C. & Bell S. O. (2021) Determinants of women’s preferred and actual abortion provision locations in Nigeria. Reproductive Health, 18, 240. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12978-021-01290-w
[14]	Sule S. T., Dieng B., & Gebi U. I. (2022). Sexual Challenges Among Nigerians: An Online Survey. Central African Journal of Public Health, 8 (2), 80-86. doi: 10.11648/j.cajph.20220802.19
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APA Style

Sa’adatu Talatu Sule, Boubacar Dieng, Shedrack Anekwe. (2022). Experiences of Non-Medically Indicated Abortions Among Educated Nigerians. Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics, 10(6), 264-269. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jgo.20221006.15

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ACS Style

Sa’adatu Talatu Sule; Boubacar Dieng; Shedrack Anekwe. Experiences of Non-Medically Indicated Abortions Among Educated Nigerians. J. Gynecol. Obstet. 2022, 10(6), 264-269. doi: 10.11648/j.jgo.20221006.15

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AMA Style

Sa’adatu Talatu Sule, Boubacar Dieng, Shedrack Anekwe. Experiences of Non-Medically Indicated Abortions Among Educated Nigerians. J Gynecol Obstet. 2022;10(6):264-269. doi: 10.11648/j.jgo.20221006.15

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@article{10.11648/j.jgo.20221006.15,
  author = {Sa’adatu Talatu Sule and Boubacar Dieng and Shedrack Anekwe},
  title = {Experiences of Non-Medically Indicated Abortions Among Educated Nigerians},
  journal = {Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics},
  volume = {10},
  number = {6},
  pages = {264-269},
  doi = {10.11648/j.jgo.20221006.15},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jgo.20221006.15},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.jgo.20221006.15},
  abstract = {Termination of pregnancy for non-medical indications is one of outcomes of unwanted pregnancy. Majority of unwanted pregnancies can be prevented using effective modern contraceptives, however, the uptake of these contraceptives is low in Nigeria. This study was carried out to assess the prevalence of abortions among Nigerians with a view to planning effective services to prevent and manage such abortions within the limits of the law in Nigeria. The study was an anonymous online survey carried out using Google Forms. Statistical analyses including rates and comparative analyses were carried out using MINITAB statistical software version 19. Non-medically indicated abortions had been experienced by 21% of all respondents and 29% of female respondents. About half of these had experienced one abortion while the rest had two or three abortions, and a large proportion (>40%) had never been accompanied by their spouse/partner for the abortion service. Majority of the abortions occurred when the respondents were not married (>60%) and the woman was involved in the making the decision to terminate the pregnancy in up to 90% of cases (50% as the sole decision maker and 40% as a partner in joint decision making). Evacuation by a health worker was the method of abortion in 65% of cases while the medication abortion alone was used in 25% of cases and the rest were carried out using medication abortion followed by evacuation. Use of withdrawal method for contraception and sexual challenges were significantly associated with non-medically indicated abortions. Non-medically indicated abortions are common among educated Nigerians and are more common among those using less effective methods of contraception like the withdrawal method. There is a need for increased access to high quality contraceptive information and services to improve the reproductive health of Nigerians.},
 year = {2022}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Experiences of Non-Medically Indicated Abortions Among Educated Nigerians
AU  - Sa’adatu Talatu Sule
AU  - Boubacar Dieng
AU  - Shedrack Anekwe
Y1  - 2022/12/15
PY  - 2022
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jgo.20221006.15
DO  - 10.11648/j.jgo.20221006.15
T2  - Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics
JF  - Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics
JO  - Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics
SP  - 264
EP  - 269
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2376-7820
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jgo.20221006.15
AB  - Termination of pregnancy for non-medical indications is one of outcomes of unwanted pregnancy. Majority of unwanted pregnancies can be prevented using effective modern contraceptives, however, the uptake of these contraceptives is low in Nigeria. This study was carried out to assess the prevalence of abortions among Nigerians with a view to planning effective services to prevent and manage such abortions within the limits of the law in Nigeria. The study was an anonymous online survey carried out using Google Forms. Statistical analyses including rates and comparative analyses were carried out using MINITAB statistical software version 19. Non-medically indicated abortions had been experienced by 21% of all respondents and 29% of female respondents. About half of these had experienced one abortion while the rest had two or three abortions, and a large proportion (>40%) had never been accompanied by their spouse/partner for the abortion service. Majority of the abortions occurred when the respondents were not married (>60%) and the woman was involved in the making the decision to terminate the pregnancy in up to 90% of cases (50% as the sole decision maker and 40% as a partner in joint decision making). Evacuation by a health worker was the method of abortion in 65% of cases while the medication abortion alone was used in 25% of cases and the rest were carried out using medication abortion followed by evacuation. Use of withdrawal method for contraception and sexual challenges were significantly associated with non-medically indicated abortions. Non-medically indicated abortions are common among educated Nigerians and are more common among those using less effective methods of contraception like the withdrawal method. There is a need for increased access to high quality contraceptive information and services to improve the reproductive health of Nigerians.
VL  - 10
IS  - 6
ER  -

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Author Information

Sa’adatu Talatu Sule

Reproductive Health Care Clinic and Consultancy, Abuja, Nigeria
Boubacar Dieng

Global Alliance for Vaccines Initiative, Abuja, Nigeria
Shedrack Anekwe

Family Care Multi Clinics, Abuja, Nigeria

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APA Style

Sa’adatu Talatu Sule, Boubacar Dieng, Shedrack Anekwe. (2022). Experiences of Non-Medically Indicated Abortions Among Educated Nigerians. Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics, 10(6), 264-269. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jgo.20221006.15

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ACS Style

Sa’adatu Talatu Sule; Boubacar Dieng; Shedrack Anekwe. Experiences of Non-Medically Indicated Abortions Among Educated Nigerians. J. Gynecol. Obstet. 2022, 10(6), 264-269. doi: 10.11648/j.jgo.20221006.15

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AMA Style

Sa’adatu Talatu Sule, Boubacar Dieng, Shedrack Anekwe. Experiences of Non-Medically Indicated Abortions Among Educated Nigerians. J Gynecol Obstet. 2022;10(6):264-269. doi: 10.11648/j.jgo.20221006.15

Copy | Download

@article{10.11648/j.jgo.20221006.15,
  author = {Sa’adatu Talatu Sule and Boubacar Dieng and Shedrack Anekwe},
  title = {Experiences of Non-Medically Indicated Abortions Among Educated Nigerians},
  journal = {Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics},
  volume = {10},
  number = {6},
  pages = {264-269},
  doi = {10.11648/j.jgo.20221006.15},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jgo.20221006.15},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.jgo.20221006.15},
  abstract = {Termination of pregnancy for non-medical indications is one of outcomes of unwanted pregnancy. Majority of unwanted pregnancies can be prevented using effective modern contraceptives, however, the uptake of these contraceptives is low in Nigeria. This study was carried out to assess the prevalence of abortions among Nigerians with a view to planning effective services to prevent and manage such abortions within the limits of the law in Nigeria. The study was an anonymous online survey carried out using Google Forms. Statistical analyses including rates and comparative analyses were carried out using MINITAB statistical software version 19. Non-medically indicated abortions had been experienced by 21% of all respondents and 29% of female respondents. About half of these had experienced one abortion while the rest had two or three abortions, and a large proportion (>40%) had never been accompanied by their spouse/partner for the abortion service. Majority of the abortions occurred when the respondents were not married (>60%) and the woman was involved in the making the decision to terminate the pregnancy in up to 90% of cases (50% as the sole decision maker and 40% as a partner in joint decision making). Evacuation by a health worker was the method of abortion in 65% of cases while the medication abortion alone was used in 25% of cases and the rest were carried out using medication abortion followed by evacuation. Use of withdrawal method for contraception and sexual challenges were significantly associated with non-medically indicated abortions. Non-medically indicated abortions are common among educated Nigerians and are more common among those using less effective methods of contraception like the withdrawal method. There is a need for increased access to high quality contraceptive information and services to improve the reproductive health of Nigerians.},
 year = {2022}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Experiences of Non-Medically Indicated Abortions Among Educated Nigerians
AU  - Sa’adatu Talatu Sule
AU  - Boubacar Dieng
AU  - Shedrack Anekwe
Y1  - 2022/12/15
PY  - 2022
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jgo.20221006.15
DO  - 10.11648/j.jgo.20221006.15
T2  - Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics
JF  - Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics
JO  - Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics
SP  - 264
EP  - 269
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2376-7820
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jgo.20221006.15
AB  - Termination of pregnancy for non-medical indications is one of outcomes of unwanted pregnancy. Majority of unwanted pregnancies can be prevented using effective modern contraceptives, however, the uptake of these contraceptives is low in Nigeria. This study was carried out to assess the prevalence of abortions among Nigerians with a view to planning effective services to prevent and manage such abortions within the limits of the law in Nigeria. The study was an anonymous online survey carried out using Google Forms. Statistical analyses including rates and comparative analyses were carried out using MINITAB statistical software version 19. Non-medically indicated abortions had been experienced by 21% of all respondents and 29% of female respondents. About half of these had experienced one abortion while the rest had two or three abortions, and a large proportion (>40%) had never been accompanied by their spouse/partner for the abortion service. Majority of the abortions occurred when the respondents were not married (>60%) and the woman was involved in the making the decision to terminate the pregnancy in up to 90% of cases (50% as the sole decision maker and 40% as a partner in joint decision making). Evacuation by a health worker was the method of abortion in 65% of cases while the medication abortion alone was used in 25% of cases and the rest were carried out using medication abortion followed by evacuation. Use of withdrawal method for contraception and sexual challenges were significantly associated with non-medically indicated abortions. Non-medically indicated abortions are common among educated Nigerians and are more common among those using less effective methods of contraception like the withdrawal method. There is a need for increased access to high quality contraceptive information and services to improve the reproductive health of Nigerians.
VL  - 10
IS  - 6
ER  -

Copy | Download