Correlates of abortion, level of education, marital status and hiv seropositive status in Kenyatta national hospital

Abstract

Unsafe abortion is one of the leading causes of maternal morbidity and mortality in Kenya. In 2012, the induced abortion rate was at 48 abortions per 1000 women of reproductive age (MOH, 2013). Each year in the developing world, approximately 15 to 20 percent of pregnancies end in miscarriage, and 67,000 women die from complications related to unsafe abortion. Over 35 million people are living with HIV/AIDS with women being affected more than men (KAIS, 2012). Little has been documented on linking abortion and HIV/AIDS yet the abortion rates remain high. This is attributed to unmet need for contraception methods , inability to negotiate for condom use, restrictive abortion legislation which is common in developing countries.( Orner et al., 2011).The main objective of this study was to establish the correlation between abortion and HIV seropositive status by exploring the associations and extent to which they influence the outcomes. A quantitative descriptive cross sectional hospital based study design was used to conduct the study at Kenyatta National Hospital, Ward 1D. Purposive sampling method was applied to select the study participants and a standard questionnaire issued by trained assistants to collect the required information. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 21.0. Ethical Approval was sorted from the KNH/UON ERC. Abortion rates were very high among respondents aged 20 years. About 33% of the participants had been pregnant before. 66% of these pregnancies ended up in abortion. There was no association between abortion rates and age. There was an association between knowledge of HIV status and the woman’s abortion decision. (100% vs 66.7%, p=0.0023). Majority of the participants (35%) were aged between 21 and 25 years. There was an association between those women who had ever had an abortion in their previous pregnancies (p=< 0.0001) and the choice of procuring an abortion. There is a significant association between having an aborttion and planning to have one among HIV seropositive women(p= 0.002). Personal values came out strongly after HIV status as reasons why women procured abortions. (n=19, 16%).This study concludes that HIV seropositive status highly influences a woman’s decision to procure an abortion. (90% vs. 62%, p=0.016). Health education and counseling on contraception, HIV and pregnancy should be emphasized more to enable women make informed decisions regarding their reproductive issues in all health facilities. Lastly, more evidence based research on correlates of HIV/AIDs and reproductive health to be encouraged.