Applications for abortion at a community hospital

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Health
• Medical Demographics
• Public Health

Background:

• Therapeutic abortion services are a critical aspect of reproductive healthcare.
• Understanding patient demographics and circumstances is essential for service provision and public health initiatives.
• Previous studies have highlighted various factors influencing abortion access and decision-making.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze demographic and clinical characteristics of women seeking therapeutic abortions.
• To identify trends in age, marital status, gestational age, parity, contraceptive use, and reasons for application.
• To inform healthcare providers and policymakers about the profile of abortion applicants.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of therapeutic abortion applications over a 44-week period.
• Data collected from a 647-bed community hospital.
• Analysis included age, marital status, gestational age, parity, contraceptive use, and stated reasons for abortion.

Main Results:

• The largest applicant age group was 20-29 years old.
• 54% of applicants were single; 31.7% were married or in common-law relationships.
• 68.3% of applications were for gestational age of 8 weeks or less.
• Late presentations (after 14 weeks) were more common in younger age groups.
• 69.7% reported no contraceptive use at conception.
• Fewer than one-sixth cited severe social, psychological, or medical reasons.

Conclusions:

• Therapeutic abortion applicants are predominantly young, single women seeking early-term procedures.
• Low contraceptive use suggests a need for improved family planning education and access.
• The majority of applications are not due to severe adverse circumstances, highlighting broader reproductive health needs.