Determinants of Choice of Abortion Methods among Women in Ghana; Does Knowledge on legality of Abortion Matter?

Abstract Objective This study therefore examines the role knowledge on legal abortion and other factors play in the choice of abortion methods among women within a ten-year period. Design The study use data from the 2007 and 2017 Ghana Maternal Health Surveys. A total sample of 2,432 women aged 15-49 whose activities related to their most recent induced abortion were selected. This study, however, limits the analysis to a subpopulation of women who have terminated a pregnancy between 2002 to 2007 and 2012 to 2017. The made use of binary logistic regression analysis to show the relationship between choice of abortion methods and knowledge of legality of abortion. Setting Ghana Participants Women who had practice induce abortion Main outcome measure Choice of Abortion methods Results Likelihood of unsafe abortion practices was high among women who had knowledge on legality of abortion, women with no formal education, single women, rural women and women whose partners did not know about the pregnancy. Conclusion Increasing knowledge of legal status on abortion among women corresponded with an increased in the use of unsafe abortion methods over the decade has implication for poor reproductive health outcome and increased maternal mortality among women in Ghana.