J Health Popul Nutr. 2001 Dec; 19(4): 281-90.

Ordeal of women for induced abortion in a rural area of Bangladesh.

Bhuiya A, Aziz A, Chowdhury M.

ICDDR,B: Centre for Health and Population Research, GPO Box 128, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh. abbas@icddrb.org

The study was carried out to document the context of induced abortion, nature of its management, and post-abortion complications in Matlab, Bangladesh. The study included all 91 cases of induced abortion that took place in the study area from July to October 1995. Information was collected from women within 60 days after the abortion. A physician carried out in-depth interviews and physical examinations of 20 randomly-selected cases. The findings depicted a complex context, within which the women had to go for an abortion. In most cases, the complete lack of use or lack of use-effectiveness of family-planning methods resulted in unwanted pregnancies. The women in desperation sought abortion services from traditional sources first. When their conditions worsened, they contacted the available modern service facilities. At times, it was too late and led to serious health consequences. Limited access to safe abortion services, together with an absence of social support, put women in a life-threatening situation. Prevention of unwanted pregnancies and access to safe abortion services are needed to improve the situation.