Ugandan opinion-leaders’ knowledge and perceptions of unsafe abortion
| Autor: | Richard Kibombo, Deva Cats-Baril, Ann M. Moore |
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| Rok vydání: | 2013 |
| Předmět: |
Male
Health Knowledge Attitudes Practice medicine.medical_specialty Abortion Criminology Interviews as Topic Nursing Pregnancy Unsafe abortion Health care medicine Humans Uganda Societal attitudes towards abortion reproductive and urinary physiology business.industry Health Policy Public health Politics Administrative Personnel Middle Aged medicine.disease Abortion law Family planning Abortion Legal embryonic structures Female Maternal death business |
| Zdroj: | Health Policy and Planning. 29:893-901 |
| ISSN: | 1460-2237 0268-1080 |
| DOI: | 10.1093/heapol/czt070 |
| Popis: | While laws in Uganda surrounding abortion remain contradictory a frequent interpretation of the law is that abortion is only allowed to save the womans life. Nevertheless abortion occurs frequently under unsafe conditions at a rate of 54 abortions per 1000 women of reproductive age annually taking a large toll on womens health. There are an estimated 148500 women in Uganda who experience abortion complications annually. Understanding opinion leaders knowledge and perceptions about unsafe abortion is critical to identifying ways to address this public health issue. We conducted in-depth semi-structured interviews with 41 policy-makers cultural leaders local politicians and leaders within the health care sector in 2009-10 at the national as well as district (Bushenyi Kamuli and Lira) level to explore their knowledge and perceptions of unsafe abortion and the potential for policy to address this issue. Only half of the sample knew the current law regulating abortion in Uganda. Respondents understood that the result of the current abortion restrictions included long-term health complications unwanted children and maternal death. Perceived consequences of increasing access to safe abortion included improved health as well as overuse of abortion marital conflict and less reliance on preventive behaviour. Opinion leaders expressed the most support for legalization of abortion in cases of rape when the perpetrator was unknown. Understanding opinion leaders perspectives on this politically sensitive topic provides insight into the policy context of abortion laws drivers behind maintaining the status quo and ways to improve provision under the law: increase education among providers and opinion leaders. Published by Oxford University Press in association with The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (c) The Author 2013; all rights reserved. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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