Reasons why women have induced abortions: a synthesis of findings from 14 countries

Abstract

Objective Many reasons inform women’s reproductive decision-making. This paper aims to present the reasons women give for obtaining induced abortions in 14 countries. Study design We examined nationally representative data from 14 countries collected in official statistics, population-based surveys, and facility-based surveys of abortion patients. In each country, we calculated the percentage distribution of women who have abortions by main reason given for the abortion. We examined these reasons across countries and within countries by women’s sociodemographic characteristics (age, marital status, educational attainment, and residence). Where data are available, we also studied the multiple reasons women give for having an abortion. Results In most countries, the most frequently cited reasons for having an abortion were socioeconomic concerns or limiting childbearing. With some exceptions, little variation existed in the reasons given by women’s sociodemographic characteristics. Data from three countries where multiple reasons could be reported in the survey showed that women often have more than one reason for having an abortion. Conclusion This study shows that women have abortions for a variety of reasons, and provides a broad picture of the circumstances that inform women’s decisions to have abortions. Implications Future research should examine in greater depth the personal, social, economic, and health factors that inform a woman’s decision to have an abortion as these reasons may shed light on the potential consequences that unintended births can have on women’s lives.

Pain and pain management during induced abortions: A web‐based exploratory study of recollections from previous patients

“…The annual incidence of abortion is approximately 35 per 1,000 women, illustrating a significant need for safe abortions (Sedgh et al, ). There are many reasons why women request an abortion, most frequent being to limit childbearing or due to socioeconomic concerns (Chae, Desai, Crowell, & Sedgh, ). Medical abortion involves pharmacological drugs that induce labour leading to vaginal expulsion uterine contents, while surgical abortion involves trans‐cervical procedures that extract uterine contents (World Health Organization, ).…”

Application of ultrasound multimodal score in the assessment of endometrial receptivity in patients with artificial abortion

“…Artificial abortion may inevitably damage the endometrium and other organs in the reproductive system [11,12]. In addition, artificial abortion also has the potential to cause some complications such as secondary abortion, abnormal placenta, premature delivery, and ectopic pregnancy [13]. Therefore, endometrial repair is the most important for the post-abortion rehabilitation.…”

Factors affecting the decision to undergo abortion in Romania: Experiences at our clinic

“…However, the researchers concluded that, as they collected data for only a single reason, their analysis of decision making regarding abortion could have been misleading. Further, data from interviews or questionnaires vary across countries and sometimes within countries according to women's sociodemographic characteristics …”