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.