AWARENESS OF THE CAUSE AND PREVENTION OF ABORTION AMONG WOMEN OF REPRODUCTIVE AGE (18-45 YEARS) ATTENDING COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH CENTRE, AREA M, IMO STATE
Abstract
The focus of this study is to assess the awareness of the cause and prevention of abortion among
women of reproductive age (18-45 years) attending Comprehensive Health Centre, Area M, Imo
State. Three specific objectives and research questions were formulated to guide the study. The
target population comprised of women of reproductive again the Comprehensive Health Centre.
The researcher made use of a descriptive survey design using a self-designed questionnaire for
data collection. The data was descriptively summarized with the use of frequency, percentages
and tables. From the findings, the causes were shown to include use of certain drugs (72.4%),
excessive alcohol use (74.2%), advanced maternal age (75.9%), smoking (64.6%), underweight
and overweight (82.1%), previous termination of pregnancy (56.8%), genetics (62.4%), and
poorly controlled chronic maternal diseases (74.3%). The effects of abortion were shown to
include early complications including uterine perforation, infections and severe vaginal bleeding
(68.6%), late complications including secondary infertility, chronic pelvic pains, chronic pelvic
inflammatory diseases and maternal mortality (76.8%), and chronic pelvic inflammatory disease
(65%). Findings revealed the strategies for prevention of abortion were shown to include; not
smoking during pregnancy (60.2%), eating a healthy, balanced diet with at least 5 portions of
fruit and vegetables a day (77.5%), making attempts to avoid certain infections during pregnancy
(65.1%), avoiding certain foods during pregnancy, which could make you ill or harm your baby
(52%), being a healthy weight before getting pregnant (82.4%), avoidance of strenuous exercise
(75.2%), and avoidance of violence, unnecessary fear or anxiety, falls, accidents (65.9%). Based
on the findings, there is a need to for health professionals to intensify efforts on health education
and provide counseling services to women on the importance of contraceptives, as this could
reduce the rate of unplanned pregnancies which would in turn reduce the number of abortions
carried out.
Keywords: awareness, cause, prevention, abortion, women of reproductive age
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