Determinants of Abortion among Youth Seeking Reproductive Health Care in Selected Health Facilities, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Abstract

Globally an estimated 80 million unintended pregnancies, both mistimed and unwanted, occur each year. Unintended pregnancy and births have grave consequences to the mother and family and are global social and health burdens. In Ethiopia, hundreds die in health facilities each year from abortion-related complications, but many more suffer from injuries or illness related to unsafe procedures. Cognizant of these facts and with the intent to reduce maternal death due to unsafe abortion, the Ethiopian government had revised the abortion law in 2005. The national data in Ethiopia showed that about 42% of pregnancies were unintended and the annual abortion rate was 23 per 1,000 women aged 15-44 years in 2008. Thus, it is important to assess the risk factors that predisposes youths to induced abortion in order to design a sound health program for reducing unintended pregnancy and for betterment of maternal health.