Why Nigerian adolescents seek abortion rather than contraception: Evidencefrom focus-group discussions

Context: Nigerian adolescents generally have low levels of contraceptive us e, but their reliance on unsafe abortion is high, and results in many abort ion-related complications. To determine why: it is important to investigate adolescents' perceptions concerning the risks of contraceptive use versus those of induced abortion. Methods: Data were collected through focus-group discussions held with adol escents of diverse educational and socioeconomic backgrounds. All were aske d what they knew about abortion and contraception, and each method of contr aception was discussed in detail. In particular, youths were asked about co ntraceptive availability, perceived advantages of method use, side effects and young people's reasons for using or not using contraceptives. Results: Fear of future infertility was an overriding factor in adolescents ' decisions to rely on induced abortion rather than contraception. Many foc us-group participants perceived the adverse effects of modern contraceptive s on fertility to be continuous and prolonged, while they saw abortion as a n immediate solution to an unplanned pregnancy-and, therefore, one that wou ld have a limited negative impact on future fertility. This appears to be t he major reason why adolescents prefer to seek induced abortion rather than practice effective contraception. Conclusions: The need to educate adolescents about the mechanism of action of contraceptive agents and about their side effects in relation to unsafe abortion is paramount if contraceptive use is to be improved among Nigerian adolescents.