Socio-economic client characteristics and consequences of abortion in Nairobi

In Nairobi, 281 women presenting with alleged miscarriage were subdivided in the following subgroups, 91 spontaneous abortions (group 1), 152 suspected induced abortions (group 2) and 38 admittedly induced abortions (group 3). In the statistical analysis women in group 1 were compared with women from groups 2 and 3 combined (here referred to as group 4). Group 4 differed significantly from group 1 in the following respects: they were younger (p = 0.03) although they had previously born more babies (p = 0.008), lived more often together with their parents (p = 0.024), were less often married (p = 0.000012), worked more often as housewives (p = 0.00079), and lived in bigger households (p = 0.000015). No significant differences were encountered regarding religious beliefs. Group 4 women were more informed about contraceptives than group 1 (p = 0.04), particularly regarding injectables (p = 0.000096) and oral contraceptives (p = 0.0013) but also intra uterine devices (p = 0.024). Almost 90% of group 4 women indicated post abortion contraceptive interest, while only 1/3 of group 1 women did so. Group 3 women needed extensive parenteral treatment with a total hospital treatment cost amounting to 300 times that of group 1. The total cost of intravenous infusions was almost 10 times as high in group 3 as in group 1. The total number of days in hospital was significantly higher in group 4 than in group 1 (p = 0.0098).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)