Factors post abortion care utilization and associated factors among women of reproductive age in Lira City. A cross-sectional study.

Eunice Anena; Anna Grace  Auma

doi:10.51168/sjhrafrica.v6i9.1908

Authors

Eunice Anena Faculty of Health Sciences, Lira University
Anna Grace Auma Faculty of Health Sciences, Lira University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51168/sjhrafrica.v6i9.1908

Keywords:

Factors influencing post abortion care service utilization, Women of reproductive age in Lira City, Lira University

Abstract

Background

PAC is an effective intervention for decreasing maternal mortality and morbidity owing to abortion. PAC Services are services offered by the healthcare professionals to women who have had an abortion to prevent complications related to Abortion. This study aimed to assess the factors influencing PAC service utilization among women of reproductive age in Lira City.

Methods

This was a quantitative cross-sectional study done among women of reproductive age in Lira City. A total of 335 women were recruited by multistage sampling. The data was collected using a pre-tested structured questionnaire. Ethical approval was obtained. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 23.

Results

The mean age of study participants was 26.09. (87%) Of the participants were Christians 54.3% (182) had heard about PAC, and the majority, 55.5% (186), had some knowledge about PAC. Most participants (63.9%) stay 1-5km away from the health facility. Stigma was the most common (59.1%) challenge women who had an abortion faced in the community. 26.6% of the participants said health providers of abortion services are kind. Only marital status remained statistically significant at multivariate analysis, P-value (0.009 OR 4.907[0.870-8.266]. Age, religion, and income level are significant in determining whether one will have an abortion or not at p-values of 0.004, 0.009, and 0.029, respectively.

Conclusion

Education level, marital status, and knowledge increased utilization of PAC services, while factors like stigma and restrictive abortion laws decreased utilization of services.

Recommendations

The restrictive abortion laws, which allow abortion only if the life of the mother and/or the fetus is in danger, should be adjusted to include adolescents and young women who are not ready for childbearing.

References

Aantjes, C. J., Gilmoor, A., Syurina, E. V., & Crankshaw, T. L. (2018). The status of provision of post abortion care services for women and girls in Eastern and Southern Africa: A systematic review. Contraception, 98(2), 77–88. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.contraception.2018.03.014

Cleeve, A. (2019). Post abortion care in Uganda: Improving access and quality of care through task sharing and exploring the perspectives of young women and healthcare providers. Inst för kvinnors och barns hälsa / Dept of Women’s and Children’s Health. http://openarchive.ki.se/xmlui/handle/10616/46753

Håkansson, M., Oguttu, M., Gemzell-Danielsson, K., & Makenzius, M. (2018). Human rights versus societal norms: A mixed methods study among healthcare providers on social stigma related to adolescent abortion and contraceptive use in Kisumu, Kenya. BMJ Global Health, 3(2), e000608. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjgh-2017-000608

Juma, K. O., Ouedraogo, R., Adjei, J.-A., Sie, A., Ouattara, M., Emma-Echiegu, N., Eton, J., Mutua, M., & Bangha, M. (2021). Health Systems’ Preparedness to Provide Post-abortion Care: Assessment of Health Facilities in Burkina Faso, Kenya, and Nigeria [Preprint]. In Review. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-769638/v1

Kagaha, A., & Manderson, L. (2020). Medical technologies and abortion care in Eastern Uganda. Social Science & Medicine, 247, 112813. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2020.112813

McGovern, T. (2020). The US Global Gag Rule increases unsafe abortion. The Lancet, 396(10243), 24–25. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30921-1

Mcharo, E. (2016). Factors Associated With Utilization of Post-abortion Care (Pac) Services in Tanzania: A Case Study of Temeke District of Dar Es Salaam [Thesis, University of Nairobi]. http://erepository.uonbi.ac.ke/handle/11295/100314

Nteziyaremye, J. (n.d.). Abortion, Maternal Mortality and the Law in Uganda: Mini-Review. 1.

Pebalo, F. P., Grace, A. A., & Henry, O. J. (2020). Healthcare providers’ practice and attitude towards abortion service provision in Gulu city, Northern Uganda [Preprint]. In Review. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-57258/v1

Samnani, A. A. B. A., Rizvi, N., Ali, T. S., & Abrejo, F. (2017). Barriers or gaps in implementation of misoprostol use for post-abortion care and post-partum hemorrhage prevention in developing countries: A systematic review. Reproductive Health, 14(1), 139. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12978-017-0383-5

Sully, E. A., Atuyambe, L., Bukenya, J., Whitehead, H. S., Blades, N., & Bankole, A. (2018). Estimating abortion incidence among adolescents and differences in postabortion care by age: A cross-sectional study of postabortion care patients in Uganda. Contraception, 98(6), 510–516.

Wang, H., Liu, Y., & Xiong, R. (2020). Factors associated with seeking post-abortion care among women in Guangzhou, China. BMC Women’s Health, 20(1), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-020-00980-0

Yegon, E., Ominde, J., Baynes, C., Ngadaya, E., Kahando, R., Kahwa, J., & Lusiola, G. (2019). The Quality of Postabortion Care in Tanzania: Service Provider Perspectives and Results From a Service Readiness Assessment. Global Health: Science and Practice, 7(Supplement 2), S315–S326. https://doi.org/10.9745/GHSP-D-19-00050

Cleeve, A., Nalwadda, G., Zadik, T., Sterner, K., & Klingberg-Allvin, M. (2019). Morality versus duty–A qualitative study exploring midwives’ perspectives on post-abortion care in Uganda. Midwifery, 77, 71-77.

Paul, M., Gemzell-Danielsson, K., Kiggundu, C., Namugenyi, R., & Klingberg-Allvin, M. (2014). Barriers and facilitators in the provision of post-abortion care at the district level in central Uganda–a qualitative study focusing on task sharing between physicians and midwives. BMC Health Services Research, 14(1), 1-12.