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Cited by 135Reproductive Health and ContraceptionGlobal Maternal and Child HealthInternational Human Rights and Reproductive Law

The Estimated Incidence of Induced Abortion in Ethiopia, 2008

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Singh, Susheela, Fetters, Tamara, Gebreselassie, Hailemichael, Abdella, Ahmed, Gebrehiwot, Yirgu, Kumbi, Solomon, Audam, Suzette·2010·International Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health
DOI 10.1363/3601610
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Abstract

CONTEXT: Unsafe abortion is an important health problem in Ethiopia; however, no national quantitative study of abortion incidence exists. In 2005, the penal code was revised to broaden the indications under which induced abortion is legal. It is important to measure the incidence of legal and illegal induced abortion after the change in the law. METHODS: A nationally representative survey of a sample of 347 health facilities that provide postabortion or safe abortion services and a survey of 80 professionals knowledgeable about abortion service provision were conducted in Ethiopia in 2007-2008. Indirect estimation techniques were applied to calculate the incidence of induced abortion. Abortion rates, abortion ratios and unintended pregnancy rates were calculated for the nation and for major regions. RESULTS: In 2008, an estimated 382,000 induced abortions were performed in Ethiopia, and 52,600 women were treated for complications of such abortions. There were an estimated 103,000 legal procedures in health facilities nationwide--27% of all abortions. Nationally, the annual abortion rate was 23 per 1,000 women aged 15-44, and the abortion ratio was 13 per 100 live births. The abortion rate in Addis Ababa (49 per 1,000 women) was twice the national level. Overall, about 42% of pregnancies were unintended, and the unintended pregnancy rate was 101 per 1,000 women. CONCLUSIONS: Unsafe abortion is still common and exacts a heavy toll on women in Ethiopia. To reduce rates of unplanned pregnancy and unsafe abortion, increased access to high-quality contraceptive care and safe abortion services is needed.

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  • In Ethiopia, the law was changed in 2005, but the expansion of safe abortion services has only progressed slowly.

    “In Ethiopia, the law was changed in 2005, but the expansion of safe abortion services has only progressed slowly (59).”

    From Unsafe abortion and postabortion care - an overview (2011) · cites this paper as [59]

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2 of the 11 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.

Research works printed but not linked: 9

  1. Berhan Y and Abdela A, Emergency obstetric performance with em- phasis on operative delivery outcomes: does it reflect the quality of care? Ethiopian Journal of Health Development, 2004, 18(2):96-106.
  2. Mekbib T, Gebrehiwot Y and Fantahun M, Survey of unsafe abortion in selected health facilities in Ethiopia, Ethiopian Journal of Reproduc- tive Health, 2007, 1(1):28-43.
  3. Ethiopian Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ESOG), A Data Base on Abortion Literature Review, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: ESOG, 2000.
  4. Seifu A, Fantahun M and Worku A, Reproductive health needs of out-of-school adolescents: a cross-sectional comparative study of rural and urban areas in northwest Ethiopia, Ethiopian Journal of Health De- velopment, 2006, 20(1):10-17.
  5. Adamu R, Samuel M and Ingidashet S, Patterns and correlates of sexual initiation, sexual risk behaviors, and condom use among sec- ondary schools in Ethiopia, Ethiopian Medical Journal, 41(2):163-177.
  6. Singh S and Wulf D, Estimated levels of abortion in six Latin Amer- ican countries, International Family Planning Perspectives, 1994, 20(1): 4-13.
  7. Jewkes R et al., Prevalence of morbidity associated with abortion before and after legalization in South Africa, BMJ, 2002, 324(7348): 1252-1253.
  8. Harlap S, Shiono PH and Ramcharan S, A life table of spontaneous abortions and the effects of age, parity and other variables, in: Hook EB and Porter I, eds., Human Embryonic and Fetal Death, New York: Academic Press, 1980, pp.145-158.
  9. Bongaarts J and Potter RG, Fertility, Biology and Behavior: An Analy- sis of the Proximate Determinants, New York: Academic Press, 1983.

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Authors
Singh, S., Fetters, T., Gebreselassie, H., Abdella, A., Gebrehiwot, Y., Kumbi, S., & Audam, S.
ORCID
Venue
International Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health
Publisher
Guttmacher Institute
Published
2010-03
Volume
36
Issue
01
Pages
016-025
ISSN
1944-0391 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1363/3601610
OpenAlex
W4248087923
Cited by
135
References
11
Citations by year
2026: 2 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 13 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 13 · 2016: 11 · 2015: 13 · 2014: 14 · 2013: 9 · 2012: 11
FWCI
10.18
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • International Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed
Funders
  • Department for International Development
  • Ethiopian Public Health Association
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Reproductive Health and Contraception
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health › Global Maternal and Child Health
  • Social Sciences › Political Science and International Relations › International Human Rights and Reproductive Law
Keywords
abortion, abortion incidence, Ethiopia, maternal health, reproductive health
MeSH terms
Abortion, Criminal, Abortion, Illegal, Abortion, Induced, Adolescent, Adult, Ambulatory Care, Ethiopia, Female, Health Services Accessibility, Humans, Patient Acceptance of Health Care, Postnatal Care, Pregnancy, Prognosis, Women's Health Services, Incidence, Women's Health, Pregnancy, Unplanned, Young Adult

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