ArticleBMC women's health2019
Contributing factors to unsafe abortion practices among women of reproductive age at selected district hospitals in the Ashanti region of Ghana.
Article in BMC women's health, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 31 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
31 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 55 citations in OpenAlex.
- How, when and where? A systematic review on abortion decision making in legally restricted settings in sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean.BMC women's health · 2022Pooled it
- Knowledge on Unsafe Abortion and Associated Factors Among Medical Female Undergraduates at the University of Dodoma, Dodoma, Tanzania: A Cross-Sectional Study.Health science reports · 2026Article
- Awareness of Abortion Legality and Safe Abortion Uptake in Ghana: Assessing the Moderating Role of Education in a Cross-Sectional Study.Health science reports · 2026Article
- 'I chose to keep it secret:' a qualitative study on the lived experience of women who underwent an abortion in Ethiopia.International health · 2026Article
- Abortion care pathways in Addis Ababa healthcare facilities: a qualitative descriptive study.Reproductive health · 2026Article
- Factors Associated With Induced Abortion Among Childbearing-Aged Women in Nepal: Evidence From the 2022 Nepal Demographic and Health Survey.Health science reports · 2026Article
- Determinants and dynamics of repeat unsafe abortion in Ghana-a mixed-method study at Tema General Hospital.Frontiers in global women's health · 2026Article
- Prevalence and factors associated with unsafe abortion among married women admitted to the gynecology ward at Lira regional referral hospital in Lira City Northern Uganda.BMC public health · 2025Article
- Iranian Women's Experiences of Unintended Pregnancy and Induced Abortion: A Meta-Synthesis Study.Iranian journal of medical sciences · 2025Review
- Abortion stigma in healthcare: physicians' perspectives.BMC medical ethics · 2025Article
- Prevalence and factors associated with unintended pregnancy among women in Ghana.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2025Article
- Provincial distribution of unintended pregnancy and its associated factors in Sierra Leone.BMC public health · 2025Article
- Predictors of intention to use contraceptives among married and cohabiting women in Ghana: A cross-sectional study.Contraception and reproductive medicine · 2024Article
- Factors Influencing Abortion Decision-Making of Adolescents and Young Women: A Narrative Scoping Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2024Article
- Close female friendships and knowledge of recommended abortion methods in Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo among a representative sample of reproductive-aged women.Frontiers in reproductive health · 2024Article
- Contraceptive Utilization and Its Associated Factors Among Married Women in West African Countries: A Population-Based Survey Using Multinomial Logistic Regression.Open access journal of contraception · 2024Article
- Prevalence and determinants of termination of pregnancy among reproductive-age women who had a short preceding birth interval in Sub-Saharan Africa: a multilevel analysis.Frontiers in global women's health · 2024Article
- "I wasn't sure it would work. I was just trying": an ethnographic study on the choice of abortion methods among young women in Kilifi County, Kenya, and Atlantique Department, Benin.Reproductive health · 2023Article
- Article
- Geospatial variations and determinants of contraceptive utilization among married reproductive age women in Ethiopia: spatial and multilevel analysis of Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey, 2019.Frontiers in global women's health · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
13 authors at 5 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundDespite the existence of an abortion law and a safe abortion policy in Ghana, the Ghana Statistical Service found that 15% of all women in the reproductive age group (15-49 years) have practiced unsafe abortions. The objective of this study was to explore factors that contribute to the high incidence of unsafe abortion practices in the Ashanti Region of Ghana.
methodsA qualitative descriptive study design was used to assess factors that contribute to unsafe abortion practices. Purposive sampling technique was employed in selecting participants. Data were collected through key informant interviews and focus group discussions. One hundred and eleven participants were involved in the study. Data analysis was carried out through qualitative content analysis.
resultsSeven thematic categories were elicited from data collected. The categories are: a) Lack of knowledge of safe abortion services; b) Socio-economic conditions as a perceived influence for unsafe abortion practices; c) Safe abortion as a perceived religious and cultural taboo in Ghana; d) Stigma of unplanned pregnancy; e) A desire to bear children only after marriage; f) Avoiding parental/guardian disappointment and resentment; g) A desire to pursue education.
conclusionsEvidence available in this study suggests that several factors are responsible for unsafe abortion practices in Ghana. Lack of knowledge on safe abortion services, poor socio-economic conditions, cultural and religious beliefs, a stigma of unplanned pregnancy, a desire to bear children only after marriage, attempts to avoid parental/guardian disappointment and resentment, and a desire to pursue education were cited by participants as situations that contributed to unsafe abortion practices. Measures such as Aunty Jane, Ms. Rose and Women Help Women programmes can be publicised to reduce maternal morbidity and mortality that occur as a result of unsafe abortions in Ghana. Improvement in family planning education in educational institutions needs to be considered in order to reduce the rate of unwanted pregnancies among young women in school.
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