A 15-year study of illegally induced abortion mortality at Ilorin, Nigeria

Fifty-three women died from complications of illegally induced abortion over a 15-year period. Seventeen (32.2%) of them were under 20 years of age, while 28 (52.8%) were nulliparous. The abortion rate was 210/100,000 with an abortion mortality rate of 0.9/100,00 women. Also the abortion ratio was 73.4/1000 live-births while the abortion mortality ratio was 4.20/1000 abortions. Sepsis and hemorrhage were the two commonest avoidable causes of death, and preventable measures were discussed.