Pregnancy loss: spontaneous and induced abortions among young women in Lusaka, Zambia
Abstract
An estimated 60% of all adolescent pregnancies in low-income countries are unintended. The present study was carried out at the university hospital in Lusaka, Zambia over a four-month period in 2005. The aim was to explore experiences of pregnancy loss and to ascertain the girl's contraceptive knowledge and use and their partner's involvement in the pregnancy/abortion. Eighty-seven girls aged 13-19 years admitted to hospital for incomplete abortions were interviewed. Of these girls, 53 (61%) had had a spontaneous abortion and 34 (39%) had undergone an unsafe induced abortion. Significantly more girls with an unsafe induced abortion were single, students, had completed more years in school and were in less stable relationships. Girls' overall contraceptive knowledge and use was low and most pregnancies were unplanned. Partners played a decisive role in terminating pregnancy through unsafe induced abortion. Traditional healers, girls themselves and health professionals were the main abortion providers. Young women's health risks due to unprotected sex and lack of contraceptive services should urgently be addressed. The existence of the abortion law and access to emergency contraception should be better publicized in Zambia.
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Another common method used by traditional healers is to induce abortion by inserting a cassava stick in the uterine cervix.
“Another common method used by traditional healers is to induce the abortion by inserting a cassava stick in the uterine cervix (16,18).”
From Unsafe abortion and postabortion care - an overview (2011) · cites this paper as [18]
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- Authors
- Dahlbäck, E., Maimbolwa, M., Yamba, C. B., Kasonka, L., Bergström, S., & Ransjö-Arvidson, A.-B.
- Affiliations
- Karolinska Institutet (SE)
- University of Zambia (ZM)
- Diakonhjemmet høgskole (NO)
- University Teaching Hospital (ZM)
- Karolinska Institutet
- Corresponding author
- Dahlbäck, Elisabeth
- Venue
- Culture, Health & Sexuality
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2009-11-10
- Volume
- 12
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 247-262
- ISSN
- 1369-1058 (ISSN-L)
- 1464-5351
- OpenAlex
- W2081963046
- Cited by
- 26
- References
- 24
- Citations by year
- 2025: 1 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 2 · 2014: 1 · 2013: 1
- FWCI
- 0.67
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Culture Health & Sexuality (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Reproductive Health and Contraception
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › History › Historical Studies on Reproduction, Gender, Health, and Societal Changes
- Keywords
- miscarriage, abortion, adolescent pregnancy, young women, incomplete abortion, unsafe abortion, contraceptive knowledge, contraceptive use, unintended pregnancy, traditional healers, abortion providers, abortion law, emergency contraception, Lusaka, Zambia
- MeSH terms
- Abortion, Spontaneous, Abortion, Induced, Adolescent, Adult, Female, Humans, Interviews as Topic, Male, Pregnancy, Pregnancy, Unwanted, Zambia, Contraception, Postcoital, Young Adult
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