Safe abortion services in Nepal: some insights

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Health
• Sociology of Health

Background:

• Unintended pregnancies and abortions remain significant global health concerns.
• Understanding women's motivations for abortion and partner involvement is crucial for effective reproductive health strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify the primary reasons women seek abortion services.
• To evaluate the extent of male partner involvement in the decision-making process for pregnancy termination.
• To explore the relationship between maternal education, contraceptive use, and abortion.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study was conducted with 304 women accessing safe abortion services.
• Data were collected from 8 clinics of the Family Planning Association of Nepal (FPAN).
• Analysis focused on demographic factors, reasons for abortion, partner involvement, and prior contraceptive practices.

Main Results:

• The most frequently cited reason for abortion was the lack of desire for additional children.
• Maternal education emerged as a strong predictor for undergoing abortion.
• Over half of the women were accompanied by their partners, while nearly one-third were not using contraception prior to their pregnancy.

Conclusions:

• Improving access to and choice of contraceptive methods is essential to reduce abortion demand.
• Reproductive health and rights programs should actively involve men to promote shared decision-making and responsible family planning.