ABORTION-SEEKING BEHAVIOUR AMONG NIGERIAN WOMEN

Abstract

SummaryThis study used data from a community-based survey to examine women’s experiences of abortion in Nigeria. Fourteen per cent of respondents reported that they had ever tried to terminate a pregnancy, and 10% had obtained an abortion. The majority of women who sought an abortion did so early in the pregnancy. Forty-two per cent of women who obtained an abortion used the services of a non-professional provider, a quarter experienced complications and 9% sought treatment for complications from their abortions. Roughly half of the women who obtained an abortion used a method other than D&C or MVA. The abortion prevalence and conditions under which women sought abortions varied by women’s socio-demographic characteristics. Because abortion is illegal in Nigeria except to save the woman’s life, many women take significant risks to terminate unwanted pregnancies. Reducing the incidence of unwanted pregnancy and unsafe abortion can significantly impact the reproductive health of women in Nigeria.