Abortion in two francophone African countries: a study of whether women have begun to use misoprostol in Benin and Burkina Faso

Contraception
Carine BaxerresAgnès Guillaume

Abstract

This study aimed to document the means women use to obtain abortions in the capital cities of Benin and Burkina Faso, and to learn whether or not use of misoprostol has become an alternative to other methods of abortion, and the implications for future practice. We conducted in-depth, qualitative interviews between 2014 and 2015 with 34 women - 21 women in Cotonou (Benin) and 13 women in Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) - about their pathways to abortion. To obtain a diverse sample in terms of socio-demographic characteristics, we recruited the women through our own knowledge networks, in health facilities where women are treated for unsafe abortion complications, and in schools in Benin. The 34 women had had 69 abortions between them. Twenty-five of the women had had 37 abortions in the previous 5 years; the other abortions were 5-20 years before. Pathways to abortion were very different in the two cities. Lengthy and difficult pathways with unsafe methods often led to complications in Ougadougou, whereas most Cotonou women went to small, private health centers. Six of the 37 abortions in the previous 5 years involved misoprostol use, and were all among educated women with significant social and economic capital and personal contact...Continue Reading

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