Abstract:
Introduction: Increasing legal access to abortion is associated with improvement in
sexual and reproductive health. Conversely, unsafe abortion and related mortality are
both highest in countries with narrow grounds for legal abortion.
Objectives: To determine the prevalence and reasons for terminations of pregnancy at
Arbaminch General Hospital
Methods:
A retrospective cross sectional study was conducted at Arbaminch General Hospital from
March 10-20, 2008EC, a total of 182 cards of women who came for abortion services
from March 2006-February 2008EC were included by systematic random sampling with
inclusion and exclusion criteria. Chi square (x2) test calculated to analyze the statistical
association between abortion types and other variables, p-value less than 0.05 was
considered statistically significant.
Result; According to this study, of the total calculated 182 sample size from clients
admitted for both spontaneous and induced abortion 119(65.4%) were spontaneous and
63(34.6%) were induced abortion. 28(14.4%) of incomplete spontaneous abortion occurs
between age of 25-years.one of the most common complication in this study was sepsis
19(10.4%). This study revealed that the main reason for induced abortion was due to rape
and economic problem which holds 28(15.4%) and 14(7.7%) respectively Occupation and
marital status are strongly associated with types of abortion with p-value of P<0.001.
Discussion The study is comparable with previous studies done in Gambella hospital
showed that patients with induced abortion were younger, single and had a secondary
education.
Conclusion and recommendation: The study concludes that majority of abortion were
spontaneous abortion which almost hold all septic abortion and majority of induced
abortion were teenage, single students and most of them presented after 2
nd
trimester of
pregnancy which increases the complication of abortion. Thus, health education on
dangers of induced abortion, spontaneous abortion and utilization of contraceptive
methods services to all women are highly recommende
