Characteristics of women seeking abortion services and post-abortion care in Nigerian hospitals

Stanley K. Henshaw, The Alan Guttmacher Institute
Isaac Adewole, Campaign Against Unwanted Pregnancy (CAUP)
Susheela D. Singh, The Alan Guttmacher Institute
Akinrinola Bankole, The Alan Guttmacher Institute
Boniface Oye-Adeniran, Campaign Against Unwanted Pregnancy (CAUP)
Rubina Hussain, The Alan Guttmacher Institute
Gilda Sedgh, The Alan Guttmacher Institute

In Nigeria, abortion is illegal except to save the life of a woman, but the practice is common. Because of their clandestine nature, most of the abortions take place under unsafe conditions and constitute a major source of maternal morbidity and mortality and a significant burden on the heath care system. The objective of this paper is to examine: the characteristics of women admitted into hospitals for complications from unsafe abortion; the conditions under which women obtain abortions; the nature and severity of complications resulting from unsafe abortions; and the costs of obtaining an abortion and treatment of abortion complications. The data used derive from a 2002-2003 survey of 2,297 women admitted into 32 public and private hospitals in 8 states of the Federation for pregnancy loss (induced and spontaneous) and their health care providers. Information for addressing the above objective was asked from the women and their care providers