Knowledge,perceptions, and practices regarding unsafe termination of pregnancies among female students of makerere university Kampala.

Abstract

Introduction Induced abortion is one of the greatest human rights dilemmas of our time. In Uganda, a large proportion of women undergo induced abortions each year and about one-third of these are treated for complications. However, the available estimates may not be reliable considering the Ugandan law which does not allow termination of pregnancy on request. University students are particularly vulnerable to unsafe induced abortion with its sequelae. Study objective This study aimed to assess the knowledge, perceptions and practices of Makerere University female students towards unsafe abortion. Methodology A cross sectional study was conducted among randomly selected undergraduate female students who were enrolled and registered at the time of the study in Makerere University Kampala. A structured questionnaire was used to interview 325 students and a focus group discussion guide was used to collect qualitative data. Quantitative data were analyzed using a STATA version 14.1 while qualitative data were analyzed thematically. Results are presented using tables and figures. Results The largest proportion of the respondents 93%(302/325) had ever heard about abortion. Among the students who had ever heard about abortion, most of them mentioned having ever heard about abortion from mass media 44%(133/325) and friends 42.1%(127/325). The majority 76.9%(250/325) had knowledge on where abortion is carried out from and more than half 68.8%(172/250) mentioned that abortion is carried out from a private clinic. All most all students 97.9%(318/325) had knowledge on what complications can arise from unsafe abortion. Severe bleeding 36.7%(118/319) and psychological damage 6.3% (20/319) were the most and least mentioned complications respectively. Generally, the respondents had a negative attitude towards the practice of unsafe abortion. Most of the respondents 37.9% (123/325) abstain and 27.4% (89/325) use emergency contraceptive in order to prevent unwanted pregnancies.34.2% (111/325) study participants said they would abort in case of an incidence of an unwanted pregnancy and the greatest percentage 76.9% (250/325) said that they would go to a healthy facility in case of abortion complications Conclusion Most female Makerere University students had good knowledge on abortion and its complications. Generally, the respondents had negative attitude towards abortion and its legalization. However still a number of students said they would abort unwanted pregnancies despite their knowledge of possible complications and its legal status in Uganda. This indicates that unsafe abortion will still prevail if something isn’t done. This study also provides the necessary information to guide evidence- based practice in sexual and reproductive health education and interventions in higher institutions of learning.