Women’s prior knowledge of the abortion law and decision-making on choice of place for abortion services in Accra, Ghana

Background: Despite less restrictive abortion laws in Ghana than in other African Countries, women still resort to unsafe abortions. This study examines the cross-sectional relationship between women’s prior knowledge of Ghana’s abortion law and the type of provider accessed in Accra, Ghana.

Methods: Women seeking induced abortion (320) and those being treated for post-abortion complications (81) were sampled from four purposive selected health facilities (2 public and 2 private). Bivariate and multivariable binary logistic regression models were estimated to test the study hypothesis that prior knowledge of abortion laws informs women’s decisions regarding options.

Results: Less than half of respondents knew abortion was legal in Ghana. In both bivariate (OR=4.959; 95% CI 3.418, 7.193) and multivariable (OR=6.45, 95% CI 4.25, 10.08) models, women who knew the legalities and those educated were more likely to seek safe abortions. The prospect of seeking safe abortions was lower among women reporting boyfriends/fiancés and teachers/bosses as those responsible for the index pregnancy.

Conclusions: Regardless of a woman’s background, knowledge of abortion laws influences decisions on the choice of place for services. Education on the law is therefore required for informed decisions in Ghana.

Keywords: Androgen-Independent Malignancy; Advanced Prostate Cancer; Cabergoline Treatment; Case Report.