Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41388874›Full record

ArticleInternational health2026

'I chose to keep it secret:' a qualitative study on the lived experience of women who underwent an abortion in Ethiopia.

Tegenu Balcha, Elias Yadeta, Abraham Negash, Magarsa Lami, Kasiye Shiferaw, Mekitie Wondafrash

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In one paragraph

Article in International health, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Tegenu BalchaHarmaya University, College of Health and Medical Science, School of Midwifery, P.O. Box 235, Harar, Ethiopia.ORCID 0000-0001-9190-6569
Elias YadetaHarmaya University, College of Health and Medical Science, School of Midwifery, P.O. Box 235, Harar, Ethiopia.
Abraham NegashHarmaya University, College of Health and Medical Science, School of Midwifery, P.O. Box 235, Harar, Ethiopia.
Magarsa LamiHarmaya University, College of Health and Medical Science, School of Midwifery, P.O. Box 235, Harar, Ethiopia.
Kasiye ShiferawHarmaya University, College of Health and Medical Science, School of Midwifery, P.O. Box 235, Harar, Ethiopia.
Mekitie WondafrashSt. Paul Institute for Reproductive Health and Rights, P.O. Box 16970, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Funding

Addis Ababa University School of Public Health
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIn Ethiopia, despite a decline in abortion-related mortality over the past decade, substantial challenges persist in ensuring universal safe abortion access. The lived experiences of women who underwent abortion are not well understood in Ethiopia. Thus, this study aimed to explore the lived experiences of women who underwent safe abortions in eastern Ethiopia.

methodsThe study was conducted in Harari Region and Dire Dawa admiration using a descriptive phenomenological approach among 14 purposively selected women from Public health facilities. Data was collected through In-depth interviews using an interview guide. Verbatim transcription and translation of the recorded interviews were done. Finally, thematic analysis was conducted using Open Code 4.03 software.

resultsFive major themes were emerged after analysis. Facilitators of abortion, Barriers to accessing safe abortion services, the need to keep abortion secret, religious perspectives, and Beliefs regarding the health impacts of abortion were the identified major themes.

conclusionsThis study reveals that women seek abortion for various reasons and experience many challenges after abortion, but most of these reasons are not supported by Ethiopian's current abortion law. As a result, they encounter numerous obstacles when trying to obtain safe abortion services.

Indexed as

Abortion, InducedHealth Services AccessibilityAdolescentAdultEthiopiaFemaleHumansInterviews as TopicPregnancyQualitative ResearchYoung Adultlived experiencesSafe abortion carewomen

Identifiers

PMID41388874
PMCPMC13154836

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.