RP-Department of Community Health

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Browsing RP-Department of Community Health by Author "Bukusi, E."

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    The Age Specific Practices and Outcomes in Women Undergoing Unsafe Abortions in Rural Communities of Kenya
    (Journal of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, 2013-05) Osur, J.; Orago, A. S.; Mwanzo, I.; Bukusi, E.
    Unsafe Abortion is common among young women. It is not however known whether the young women decide on their own to terminate the pregnancies, whether the methods they use are similar to those of older women, and whether the outcomes of their unsafely procured abortions are different from those of older women. This study therefore set to establish the age specific practices and outcomes of unsafe abortion. It was a cross-sectional survey and the setting was Siaya County, Kenya in East Africa. A sample of 320 women aborting unsafely and reporting to health facilities for completion of the process and management of complications were interviewed to determine their reproductive health profiles, decision making process for unsafe abortion, unsafe abortion methods they had used and outcomes making them seek healthcare. The study found that 76% of women aborting unsafely were between 10 and 24 years with 62% being nulliparous. 84% of them had undesired pregnancy. Younger women were likely to consult with a variety of people before making a decision to abort unsafely. Women with wanted pregnancy and aborting unsafely were likely to be of a younger age. The younger person was also more likely to use a wide variety of unsafe abortion methods resulting in more complications. Overall
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    Social networks and decision making for clandestine unsafe abortions : evidence from Kenya
    (Women's Health and Action Research Centre (WHARC, 2015) Osur, Joachim; Orago, A. S.; Mwanzo, I.; Bukusi, E.
    ittle is known about the role of social networks in promoting clandestine abortions. This study investigated the role social networks play in decision making for and facilitation of clandestine abortions. It was a mixed method study in which 320 women treated for complications of unsafe abortions were interviewed in a cross sectional survey to determine their consultation with social networks and how this ended up in clandestine abortions. Information obtained was supplemented with information from focus group discussions, case studies and key informant interviews. It was found that 95% of women consulted their social networks as part of decision making before aborting clandestinely and unsafely. The man responsible for pregnancy, friend of same sex and woman’s mother were the most consulted at 64%, 32% and 23% respectively. 92% of advice was for the woman to abort. The man responsible for pregnancy and the woman’s mother were the most influential advisors (pF6;0.05). Intermediaries linked the woman to clandestine and unsafe abortion and included agents and previous clients of clandestine abortion providers and the woman’s friends and relatives. Decision making and seeking for clandestine abortion were therefore found to be shared responsibilities. It is recommended that programs for reducing unsafe abortions be designed with this fact in mind. (Afr J Reprod Health 2015; 19[1]: 34-43).