This prospective hospital-based study was carried out to understand the
characteristics of abortion care seekers in south-western Nigeria.
Information was obtained from a total of 1876 women seeking abortion at
hospitals using a questionnaire. The results show that majority (60%)
were between the ages of 15 and 24 years, of which adolescents between
the ages of 15 and 19 years constituted 23.7%. Most (63.2%) of the
respondents were unmarried, but married women also constituted a
significant proportion (30.2%) of the abortion care seekers. Students
were the single highest group, while the predominant economic activity
was trading (26.7%). Respondents terminated their pregnancies mainly
because they were students or because they did not desire to have
children. Most (35.5%) of the women were introduced to providers by
friends. Average contraceptive prevalence among the abortion care
seekers was 27.4%. It is obvious from the results that young persons,
especially in-school adolescents, should be targeted for comprehensive
sexuality education especially in view of the current HIV/AIDS
pandemic. (Afr J Reprod Health 2004; 8[3]: 81-91
