Determinants of Unsafe Abortion Practices Among Young Women in the Bongo District, Ghana
Joel Afram Saah, Richard Opoku AsareBackground
Unsafe abortion remains a critical public health challenge among young women in Ghana, persisting despite the provisions of PNDC Law 102 permitting abortion.
Aim
This study examined the determinants of unsafe abortion among women aged 15–25 years in the Bongo District, Upper East Region, with particular focus on contraceptive use, health-system accessibility, and socio-economic pressures.
Methods
Using a qualitative study, thirty-four women from five communities were recruited through purposive sampling and interviewed using a semi-structured guide.
Results
Four main themes emerged firstly, the idea of having an unsafe abortion was so ingrained in the society that it had become a kind of a routine for people in the district; Secondly, not using contraceptives was more a result of the women's worries about becoming infertile, side effects, and their partners disapproval than simply not knowing about them; Thirdly, formal health services were so expensive, far, and the providers were so judgmental that many just gave up on them; Lastly, social stigma namely, the women's fear of disgracing their families and being expelled from school. The findings are that unsafe abortion in Bongo District is a systemic failure, not a lack of awareness.
Conclusion
The findings of this study highlighted that unsafe abortion in Bongo District is a structural failure of the reproductive health system, of social support networks, and of policy implementation rather than a deficit of individual knowledge or moral resolve. Young women in the district are neither uninformed about the risks of unsafe procedures nor indifferent to their health.