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Author(s): Bright Mukanga, Taonga Zulu, Tato Herbert Nyirenda, Victor Daka, David Mulenga (Ph.D).

Volume/Issue: Volume 3 , Issue 6 (2020)

Abstract:

Background: The World Health Organisation estimates that at least 33% of all women seeking hospital care of complications related to abortions are under the age of 24. We conducted a cross-sectional study to describe knowledge, attitude and practice regarding unsafe abortions among tertiary education female students in Kitwe, Zambia. Methods: A cross sectional descriptive study was conducted among 238 randomly selected female students in tertiary education institutions in Kitwe. Using cluster sampling, three (3) government institutions were selected for inclusion in this study. A pre-tested self-administered questionnaire was used. Responses regarding knowledge, attitudes and practices were scored and graded. Pearson’s chi-square was used to ascertain the associations of knowledge, attitudes, practices and age. Results: The majority of the respondents (69.2%) had good knowledge on unsafe abortion. More than three quarters of the respondents (78.6%) had negative attitude towards the practice of unsafe abortion. Age was significantly associated with knowledge (p<0.005). Death (65.5%) was the most reported complication of unsafe abortion. Others were bareness (52.9%), womb damage (34.0%), haemorrhage (17.2%) and infections (11.8%). Among the reasons reported to lead to unsafe abortions among female students, unpreparedness (43.7%) of bearing the child was the most common. 9.2% of the students reported having had an abortion before and 14.7% reported that they would abort if they fell pregnant. More than half (58%) indicated that they were aware about the Termination of Pregnancy Act. Out of those who had an abortion, the majority (54%) reported having used traditional herbs to terminate the pregnancy while about 2.7% reported having terminated the pregnancy at the hospital. Conclusion: Our findings show that abortions are endemic among females in institutions of higher learning in Kitwe district. Public health interventions should be centred on increasing awareness on safe abortion methods and improve female student’s access to safe abortion services in health centres.

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