Reasons for Non-Use of Contraception in Patients with Induced Abortion

Introduction: Induced abortion is a dilemma for obstetricians working in developing countries. A vast majority of induced abortions are due to non use of contraception for a variety of reasons. Study Design: Descriptive, cross sectional. Materials and Methods: 32 married women who had induced abortions were from October 2006 to March 2007 were interviewed along their husbands. Spontaneous miscarriages, therapeutic terminations and illegal pregnancies were excluded. Results: Frequency of induced abortion was 5% of total deliveries. 93.7% of the cases were illiterate and belonged to low socioeconomic class. 43.7% cases were managed by TBAs, 25% by LHVs and 31.2% by doctors. Reasons for non use of contraception included failure of method (37.5%), husband dislike (25%), fear of side effects (12.5%), lack of access (6.25%), lack of awareness (6.25%) and misconceptions (6.2%). Contraception failure was more common in cases with condom use (50%), followed by withdrawal method (33.3%) and IUCDs (16.7%). In 87.5% cases, both partners were involved in decision making. Discussion: Conclusion: Non use and less effective methods of contraception lead to unwanted pregnancies and hence induced abortions. Measures should be taken to prevent unwanted pregnancies.