Browsing by Author "Prada, Elena"

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    Abortion and Postabortion Care In Uganda: A Report from Health Care Professionals and Health Facilities
    (Occasional Report, 2005) Prada, Elena; Mirembe, Florence; Ahmed, Fatima H.; Nalwadda, Rose; Kiggundu, Charles
    Women in Uganda today give birth to almost seven children, on average—two more children than they would prefer. In fact, nearly 40% of all births in 2000 were unwanted or mistimed, up from 29% of births only five years earlier. Only 23% of married women were using contraceptives in 2000, although this proportion was about five times that in 1988. Given such facts about the gap between their desired family size and their actual fertility, as well as their low likelihood of using contraceptives, it is not surprising that many women turn to abortion. Abortion is illegal in Uganda unless a woman’s pregnancy endangers her life. As a result, the procedure is performed in secrecy and often under dangerous conditions. There are no official statistics even on abortion complications, but what data are available indicate that unsafe abortion in Uganda is a leading cause of maternal morbidity and mortality.
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    The Incidence of Induced Abortion in Uganda
    (JSTOR, 2005) Singh, Susheela; Prada, Elena; Mirembe, Florence; Kiggundu, Charles
    Although Uganda's law permits induced abortion only to save a woman's life, many women obtain abor- tions, often under unhygienic conditions. Small-scale studies suggest that unsafe abortion is an important health problem in Uganda, but no national quantitative studies of abortion exist. METHODS: A nationally representative survey of 313 health facilities that treat women who have postabortion com- plications and a survey ofS3 professionals who are knowledgeable about the conditions of abortion provision in Uganda were conducted in 2003. Indirect estimation techniques were applied to the data to calculate the number of induced abortions performed annually. Abortion rates, abortion ratios and unintendedpregnancy rates were calcu- lated for the nation and its four major regions. Data on contraceptive use and unmet need were obtained from Demo- graphic and Health Surveys. RESULTS: Each year, an estimated297,000 induced abortions are performed in Uganda, and nearly 85,000 women are treated for complications. Abortions occur ata rate of 54 per 1,000 women aged 15-49 and account for one in five pregnancies. The abortion rate is higher than average in the Central region (62 per 1,000 women), the country's most urban and economically developed region. It is also very high in the Northern region (70 per 1,000). Nationally, about half of pregnancies are unintended; 51% of married women aged 15-49 and 12% of their unmarried counterparts have an unmet need for effective contraceptives. CONCLUSIONS: Unsafe abortion exacts a heavy toll on women in Uganda. To reduce unplanned pregnancy and un- safe abortion, and to improve women's health, increased access to contraceptive services is needed for all women.