Assessing the prevalence and determinants of unwanted pregnancy and induced abortion in Nigeria

This study was conducted to determine the prevalence and sociodemographic d eterminants of unwanted pregnancy and induced abortion in the Jos and Ife l ocal government areas of Nigeria. A total of 1,516 randomly selected women aged 15-45 responded to a pretested structured questionnaire designed to el icit information concerning previous unwanted pregnancies and induced abort ions in a value-free manner. Nearly 20 percent of the women reported having had an unwanted pregnancy. Of these, 58 percent reported that they had suc cessfully terminated the pregnancies; 32 percent continued the pregnancies; and nearly 9 percent stated that they had attempted termination but failed . Overall, the prevalence of self-reports of induced abortion was II percen t. The results reveal that information can be obtained on abortion in areas with restrictive abortion policies if an indirect interviewing approach is used.