Factors influencing abortion care-seeking outside of formal healthcare settings: lived experiences from Rwandan young women
Abstract Background Informal abortions, commonly known as unsafe abortions, refer to all induced abortions that occur outside of formal healthcare settings conducted without the assistance of a licensed, trained healthcare provider. Despite the legalization of safe induced abortion care services, in...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2024-10-01
|
| Series: | BMC Women's Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-024-03410-7 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850179499876941824 |
|---|---|
| author | Jean Pierre Ndayisenga Assumpta Yamuragiye Abe Oudshoorn Godfrey Katende Aimable Nkurunziza Olive Tengera Jean Bosco Henri Hitayezu Justine Bagirisano Jeanne d’ Arc Ayinkamiye Gilbert Uwitonze |
| author_facet | Jean Pierre Ndayisenga Assumpta Yamuragiye Abe Oudshoorn Godfrey Katende Aimable Nkurunziza Olive Tengera Jean Bosco Henri Hitayezu Justine Bagirisano Jeanne d’ Arc Ayinkamiye Gilbert Uwitonze |
| author_sort | Jean Pierre Ndayisenga |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Informal abortions, commonly known as unsafe abortions, refer to all induced abortions that occur outside of formal healthcare settings conducted without the assistance of a licensed, trained healthcare provider. Despite the legalization of safe induced abortion care services, informal abortions continue to be among the major causes of maternal mortality and morbidity among young women in Rwanda living in rural areas with limited or no access to safe abortion care services. The purpose of this qualitative study was to gain an in-depth understanding of the lived experience of seeking informal abortions from the perspective of young women in rural Rwanda and to identify the underlying factors for these women seeking abortion care services outside of the formal healthcare setting. Methods This qualitative study was guided by a descriptive phenomenology in rural Rwanda, specifically in a selected district located in the Northern Province of Rwanda. Ten young women between 18 and 24 years of age, who had the experience of seeking informal abortion services from informal providers within the last eight years participated in audio-recorded, in-depth, face-to-face interviews. Collected data were analyzed using Colaizzi’s (1978) seven steps of the phenomenological method. Results The study found that young Rwandan women still seek unregulated abortions to end their unintended pregnancies due to limited access to or utilization of sexual reproductive health and rights services. Among the reasons for seeking abortion care services outside of the formal healthcare setting in Rwanda were sociocultural and economic factors and the stigma associated with terminating unintended pregnancies before marriage. Conclusion In light of the findings of this study, the authors recommend the Ministry of Health and its stakeholders to expand access to comprehensive adolescent and youth-friendly reproductive health and reproductive rights while addressing the sociocultural stigma through public awareness and economic factors that play a big role in unregulated abortions rather than safe abortion care services. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ce015ffb2f3443e1b3ef2a672ed0a9f7 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1472-6874 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-10-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Women's Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-ce015ffb2f3443e1b3ef2a672ed0a9f72025-08-20T02:18:28ZengBMCBMC Women's Health1472-68742024-10-0124111110.1186/s12905-024-03410-7Factors influencing abortion care-seeking outside of formal healthcare settings: lived experiences from Rwandan young womenJean Pierre Ndayisenga0Assumpta Yamuragiye1Abe Oudshoorn2Godfrey Katende3Aimable Nkurunziza4Olive Tengera5Jean Bosco Henri Hitayezu6Justine Bagirisano7Jeanne d’ Arc Ayinkamiye8Gilbert Uwitonze9School of Nursing and Midwifery, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of RwandaSchool of Health Sciences, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of RwandaArthur Labatt Family School of Nursing, Western UniversitySchool of Nursing and Midwifery, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of RwandaSchool of Nursing and Midwifery, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of RwandaSchool of Nursing and Midwifery, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of RwandaSchool of Nursing and Midwifery, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of RwandaSchool of Nursing and Midwifery, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of RwandaGynecology and Obstetrical Department at Byumba District HospitalGynecology and Obstetrical Department, Kibagabaga District HospitalAbstract Background Informal abortions, commonly known as unsafe abortions, refer to all induced abortions that occur outside of formal healthcare settings conducted without the assistance of a licensed, trained healthcare provider. Despite the legalization of safe induced abortion care services, informal abortions continue to be among the major causes of maternal mortality and morbidity among young women in Rwanda living in rural areas with limited or no access to safe abortion care services. The purpose of this qualitative study was to gain an in-depth understanding of the lived experience of seeking informal abortions from the perspective of young women in rural Rwanda and to identify the underlying factors for these women seeking abortion care services outside of the formal healthcare setting. Methods This qualitative study was guided by a descriptive phenomenology in rural Rwanda, specifically in a selected district located in the Northern Province of Rwanda. Ten young women between 18 and 24 years of age, who had the experience of seeking informal abortion services from informal providers within the last eight years participated in audio-recorded, in-depth, face-to-face interviews. Collected data were analyzed using Colaizzi’s (1978) seven steps of the phenomenological method. Results The study found that young Rwandan women still seek unregulated abortions to end their unintended pregnancies due to limited access to or utilization of sexual reproductive health and rights services. Among the reasons for seeking abortion care services outside of the formal healthcare setting in Rwanda were sociocultural and economic factors and the stigma associated with terminating unintended pregnancies before marriage. Conclusion In light of the findings of this study, the authors recommend the Ministry of Health and its stakeholders to expand access to comprehensive adolescent and youth-friendly reproductive health and reproductive rights while addressing the sociocultural stigma through public awareness and economic factors that play a big role in unregulated abortions rather than safe abortion care services.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-024-03410-7Decision-makingInformal abortionUnsafe abortionUnregulated abortionYoung womenOutside of formal healthcare setting |
| spellingShingle | Jean Pierre Ndayisenga Assumpta Yamuragiye Abe Oudshoorn Godfrey Katende Aimable Nkurunziza Olive Tengera Jean Bosco Henri Hitayezu Justine Bagirisano Jeanne d’ Arc Ayinkamiye Gilbert Uwitonze Factors influencing abortion care-seeking outside of formal healthcare settings: lived experiences from Rwandan young women BMC Women's Health Decision-making Informal abortion Unsafe abortion Unregulated abortion Young women Outside of formal healthcare setting |
| title | Factors influencing abortion care-seeking outside of formal healthcare settings: lived experiences from Rwandan young women |
| title_full | Factors influencing abortion care-seeking outside of formal healthcare settings: lived experiences from Rwandan young women |
| title_fullStr | Factors influencing abortion care-seeking outside of formal healthcare settings: lived experiences from Rwandan young women |
| title_full_unstemmed | Factors influencing abortion care-seeking outside of formal healthcare settings: lived experiences from Rwandan young women |
| title_short | Factors influencing abortion care-seeking outside of formal healthcare settings: lived experiences from Rwandan young women |
| title_sort | factors influencing abortion care seeking outside of formal healthcare settings lived experiences from rwandan young women |
| topic | Decision-making Informal abortion Unsafe abortion Unregulated abortion Young women Outside of formal healthcare setting |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-024-03410-7 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jeanpierrendayisenga factorsinfluencingabortioncareseekingoutsideofformalhealthcaresettingslivedexperiencesfromrwandanyoungwomen AT assumptayamuragiye factorsinfluencingabortioncareseekingoutsideofformalhealthcaresettingslivedexperiencesfromrwandanyoungwomen AT abeoudshoorn factorsinfluencingabortioncareseekingoutsideofformalhealthcaresettingslivedexperiencesfromrwandanyoungwomen AT godfreykatende factorsinfluencingabortioncareseekingoutsideofformalhealthcaresettingslivedexperiencesfromrwandanyoungwomen AT aimablenkurunziza factorsinfluencingabortioncareseekingoutsideofformalhealthcaresettingslivedexperiencesfromrwandanyoungwomen AT olivetengera factorsinfluencingabortioncareseekingoutsideofformalhealthcaresettingslivedexperiencesfromrwandanyoungwomen AT jeanboscohenrihitayezu factorsinfluencingabortioncareseekingoutsideofformalhealthcaresettingslivedexperiencesfromrwandanyoungwomen AT justinebagirisano factorsinfluencingabortioncareseekingoutsideofformalhealthcaresettingslivedexperiencesfromrwandanyoungwomen AT jeannedarcayinkamiye factorsinfluencingabortioncareseekingoutsideofformalhealthcaresettingslivedexperiencesfromrwandanyoungwomen AT gilbertuwitonze factorsinfluencingabortioncareseekingoutsideofformalhealthcaresettingslivedexperiencesfromrwandanyoungwomen |