title: Characteristics of Abortion Care Seekers in Western Nigeria.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Induced abortion remains a major challenge in Nigeria and indeed the developing world because of its contribution to maternal morbidity and mortality. In Nigeria, abortion law is restrictive, and therefore abortion is provided clandestinely. Information on characteristics of abortion care seekers is available but requires updating. Hence, the need to carry out this study in order to suggest effective and proper intervention strategies to combat the problem of unwanted pregnancy and unsafe abortion.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a prospective hospital-based study. Data collection was done by making use of a pretested standardized questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  About two-fifths (42.8%) of the respondents were between the ages of 15 and 24 years, of which the adolescents between the ages of 15 and 19 years constituted 11.7%. Slightly less than half (48.4%) of the respondents were unmarried, while married women constituted 51%. Students were the single highest group (32.4%), closely followed by trading, which was the predominant economic activity (32.3%). Respondents terminated their pregnancies mainly because they were unmarried, students or did not desire to have children. Most of the respondents (43.4%) obtained abortion service from health facility they had used previously as a family clinic, while 38.6% of the women were introduced to providers by friends. Average contraceptive prevalence among the abortion care seekers was 29.9%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Abortion needs cut across all reproductive age groups. Reproductive health services including sexuality education and contraception should be provided for women while major governmental policy changes should be made to make abortion care accessible and safe.
authors.affiliation: Maternal and Foetal Health Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology,Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital,Sagamu, Ogun State,Nigeria.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Lamina
mesh_terms: D000028:Abortion, Induced / Q000639:trends*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005193:Family Planning Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D009549:Nigeria; D011247:Pregnancy; D011275:Pregnancy, Unwanted; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult