Reproductive Health Sciences, Pan African Institute, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.
Int J Health Plann Manage. 2019 Oct;34(4):e1378-e1386. doi: 10.1002/hpm.2842. Epub 2019 Jul 9.
Developing countries register 98% of unsafe abortion annually, 41% of which occur among women aged between 15 and 25 years. Additionally, 70% of hospitalizations due to unsafe abortion are among girls below 20 years of age.
This study unveils abortion practices in Africa, its consequences, and control strategies among adolescents.
Online databases that provided relevant information on the topic were searched. A Google Scholar search yielded 623 000 results, PubMed yielded 1134 results, African Journals Online yielded 110 results, and PsycINFO yielded eight results. A total of 25 studies published from 2000 to 2018 that met the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) standard were thematically reviewed.
These studies indicated that abortion is a neglected problem in health care in developing countries, and yet decreasingly safe abortion practices dominate those settings. Adolescents who have unintended pregnancies may resort to unsafe abortion practices due to socio-economic factors and the cultural implications of being pregnant before marriage and the legal status of abortion. Adolescents clandestinely use self-prescribed drugs or beverages, insert sharps in the genitals, and most often consult traditional service providers. Abortion results in morbidities such as sepsis, severe anaemia, disabilities, and, in some instances, infertility and death. Such events can be controlled by the widening availability of and accessibility to contraceptives among adolescents, advocacy, and comprehensive sexuality education and counselling.
Adolescents are more likely to use clandestine methods of abortion whose consequences are devastating, lifelong, or even fatal. Awareness and utilization of youth-friendly services would minimize the problem.
发展中国家每年记录了 98%的不安全堕胎，其中 41%发生在 15 至 25 岁的妇女中。此外，70%的因不安全堕胎而住院的人是 20 岁以下的女孩。
本研究揭示了非洲的堕胎做法、其后果以及青少年堕胎的控制策略。
搜索了提供有关该主题的相关信息的在线数据库。Google Scholar 搜索产生了 623000 个结果，PubMed 产生了 1134 个结果，African Journals Online 产生了 110 个结果，PsycINFO 产生了 8 个结果。对 2000 年至 2018 年期间符合关键评估技能计划（CASP）标准的 25 项研究进行了主题审查。
这些研究表明，堕胎在发展中国家的医疗保健中是一个被忽视的问题，但越来越不安全的堕胎做法在这些环境中占据主导地位。意外怀孕的青少年可能会由于社会经济因素以及婚前怀孕和堕胎的法律地位的文化影响而诉诸不安全的堕胎做法。青少年会秘密地使用自行开的药物或饮料，将锐器插入生殖器，最常见的是咨询传统的服务提供者。堕胎会导致败血症、严重贫血、残疾等并发症，在某些情况下，还会导致不孕和死亡。通过扩大青少年获得和获取避孕药具的机会、倡导以及全面的性教育和咨询，可以控制这些并发症。
青少年更有可能使用秘密的堕胎方法，其后果是毁灭性的、终身的，甚至是致命的。对青少年友好的服务的认识和利用将最大限度地减少这个问题。
