The Incidence of Self Induced Abortion in Ghana: What are the Facts?

Abstract

In Ghana, despite the growing number of studies, induced abortion remains a relatively unknown aspect of the national demographics. Interest in abortion research is, however, reemerging, partly as a result of political changes and partly due to evidence of the contribution of induced abortion to the high level of maternal mortality. A recent prospective study in Southern Ghana indicates that abortion rates in Ghana could range between 22 and 28 abortions per 1,000 women of reproductive age. Most of the abortion patients studied were young, some married and others unmarried. Results of logistic regression models suggest that those who work outside their homes, the self-employed, urban dwellers, single persons, women who have had a previous abortion, women with levels of education beyond Middle/JSS and Christians rather than Muslims are the ones likely to have an abortion. Because official statistics on illegal abortion do not exist and the numbers of such procedures must be estimated, the data presented here are the best available estimate; but they are not definitive.


(Inst. of African Studies Research Review: 2002 18 (1): 33-42)