Induced abortion in urban Nepal

Context: Most of what is known about women seeking pregnancy termination in Nepal has been learned from women admitted to hospitals with abortion-rela ted complications. Little is known about women who obtain "safe" abortions from trained providers. Methods: Social and demographic information was collected from women seekin g induced abortions from a private clinic in Nepal's capital city of Kathma ndu. These data were analyzed and compared to data from two other sources. Results: Thirty-six percent of the women were between 25 and 29 years of ag e, and 43% had two living children. Forty percent had more than a high scho ol education, 91% were from Kathmandu and 48% practiced contraception. The primary motivation for seeking abortion for 34% of the women was the desire for no more children. Women in urban areas who had ever had an induced abo rtion tended to be younger, of lower parity and more educated than those in rural areas. Conclusions: Women in Nepal desire a small family size, especially those li ving in urban areas. Although significant numbers of women practice contrac eption, induced abortion is also used, primarily to control family size and for birthspacing. Increased promotion and use of contraceptive methods are needed to decrease the number of abortions, especially those that are high risk and unsafe.