Pregnancy Termination among South African Adolescents
Abstract
Although African adolescents' risk of undergoing abortion and of related health complications is well‐documented, little is known about the procedure's prominence in their lives and the pathways that lead to their reliance upon it. This study investigates abortion dynamics among male and female Zulu adolescents in KwaZulu/Natal, South Africa. It explores the role of abortion in young people's sexual and reproductive experience, its acceptability, the reasons and likelihood of young people's choosing abortion, and the commonly used methods of pregnancy termination. The study, a rural‐urban comparison using focus‐group discussions, narrative workshops, and role playing, involved surveys and in‐depth interviews. Factors contributing to the commonplace nature of backstreet procedures among adolescents include: social stigma, inadequate knowledge of the legal status of abortion, and a complex group decisionmaking process. Young people invoke “relative moralities” concerning adolescent abortion, recognizing and condoning it on a context‐specific basis. Age, gender, and geographic differences are examined. The methodological triangulation used offers the opportunity for alternative theoretical and methodological approaches to research on abortion‐related issues.
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Studies from Ethiopia, Tanzania, South Africa, among others, showed that women, especially adolescents, still rely on unsafe methods or untrained providers to terminate pregnancy as a result of those factors.
“Studies from Ethiopia [36], Tanzania [37], South Africa [57], among others showed that women, especially adolescents still rely to unsafe methods or untrained provider to terminate pregnancy, as result of those factors mentioned above.”
From Induced abortion: a cross-sectional study on knowledge of and attitudes toward the new abortion law in Maputo and Quelimane cities, Mozambique (2020) · cites this paper as [57]
These beliefs, together with the need of the family to maintain social dignity and avoid public censure, constitute a pushing factor for unsafe abortion among young women and the tendency to seek abortion services without following established procedures.
“These beliefs, together with the need of the family to maintain social dignity and avoid public censure [57], constitute pushing factor for unsafe abortion among young women, as well as the tendency of seeking abortion services without following the established procedures [14].”
From Induced abortion: a cross-sectional study on knowledge of and attitudes toward the new abortion law in Maputo and Quelimane cities, Mozambique (2020) · cites this paper as [57]
This lack of knowledge and less perceived benefits is related to misinterpretation of the abortion law and negative perceptions communities hold about abortion.
“The lack of knowledge and less perceived benefits of abortion permission at a health facility, is common in African countries, and it is related to misinterpretation of the abortion law and the negative perceptions communities hold about the abortion.”
From Induced abortion: a cross-sectional study on knowledge of and attitudes toward the new abortion law in Maputo and Quelimane cities, Mozambique (2020) · cites this paper as [57]
Lack of knowledge and less perceived benefits of abortion permission at a health facility is common in African countries.
“The lack of knowledge and less perceived benefits of abortion permission at a health facility, is common in African countries, and it is related to misinterpretation of the abortion law and the negative perceptions communities hold about the abortion.”
From Induced abortion: a cross-sectional study on knowledge of and attitudes toward the new abortion law in Maputo and Quelimane cities, Mozambique (2020) · cites this paper as [57]
Communities interpret abortion permission as encouragement of promiscuity and perceive abortion as a sinful, murderous, and abominable act.
“Communities interpret abortion permission as encouragement of promiscuity and perceive abortion as a sinful, murderous, and abominable act [46, 56, 57].”
From Induced abortion: a cross-sectional study on knowledge of and attitudes toward the new abortion law in Maputo and Quelimane cities, Mozambique (2020) · cites this paper as [57]
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Frederico, M., Arnaldo, C., Decat, P., Juga, A., Kemigisha, E., Degomme, O., & Michielsen, K. (2020) · BMC Women's Health · doi:10.1186/s12905-020-00988-6 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
- Authors
- Varga, C. A.
- Affiliations
- Human Sciences Research Council (ZA)
- Corresponding author
- Varga, Christine A.
- Venue
- Studies in Family Planning
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2002-12
- Volume
- 33
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 283-298
- ISSN
- 0039-3665 (ISSN-L)
- 1728-4465
- OpenAlex
- W1987844981
- Cited by
- 67
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2024: 2 · 2023: 1 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 1 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 5 · 2013: 5 · 2012: 4
- FWCI
- 1.76
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Studies in Family Planning (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
- adolescent abortion, abortion, KwaZulu-Natal, social stigma, abortion legality, group decision making, gender differences, urban-rural differences, sexual and reproductive health, abortion acceptability
- MeSH terms
- Abortion, Induced, Adolescent, Adolescent Behavior, Adult, Child, Female, Humans, Interviews as Topic, Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice, Male, Pregnancy, Pregnancy in Adolescence, Surveys and Questionnaires, Rural Population, Sexual Behavior, Social Environment, South Africa, Urban Population, Focus Groups
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