Title : Abortion and its correlates among female fisherfolk along Lake Victoria in Uganda
Abstract:
Introduction:
In Uganda, people living in fishing communities tend to engage in high-risk sexual activity which leads to unintended pregnancies that may end in abortions. Abortion has negative social, psychological, and medical impacts. We determined the frequency of abortion and its correlates among female fisher-folk along Lake Victoria in Uganda.
Methods:
A cross-sectional survey was conducted among women aged 15– 49 years from Kigungu and Nsazi fishing communities. Data were collected on sociodemographic characteristics, abortion, and family planning use. Associations between abortion and participant characteristics were assessed using logistic regression models.
Results:
Of the 713 women interviewed, 36, 5% were pregnant and 247, 34.6 % were using contraception. Majority (600, 84.2%) of those interviewed reported ever being pregnant. Approximately 45% of the pregnancies were un-intended while a third of those who had ever been pregnant (195, 32.5%) reported having aborted before. Slightly over a third (247, 34.6%) reported currently using or ever using family planning. Women aged 30+ years were more likely to abort compared to those aged 15-29 years (aOR: 2.7; 95% CI: 1.23-5.91). Women who had living children were less likely to abort compared to those who didn’t have any living child (aOR: 0.06; 95% CI: 0.01 – 0.17).
Conclusion:
The rate of abortion among female fisher-folk in Uganda is substantial. Family planning use is still low and unintended pregnancies are common. Abortion risk increased with the age of the mother. Continuous behavioral change communication and optimization of family planning use are recommended to reduce abortions.
Audience Take Away Notes:
- The audience can learn about the prevalence and correlates of abortion among female fisherfolk along Lake Victoria in Uganda. They can also learn about the factors that may contribute to the high prevalence of abortion among this population, such as limited access to contraception, limited knowledge of reproductive health, poverty, and cultural norms. Additionally, they can learn about the potential health risks associated with abortion and the need for improved access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services in the area.
- The audience can use the information from the presentation to develop better programs and policies that focus on improving the health and well-being of female fisherfolk. Specifically, they can use the information to increase access to contraception, improve reproductive health education, reduce poverty, and provide comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services. Additionally, the information can be used to create more targeted interventions and advocacy campaigns that address the needs of female fisherfolk in Uganda.
- The information from the presentation will help the audience in their job by providing them with the knowledge to create more targeted interventions and advocacy campaigns that improve the health and well-being of female fisherfolk in the region. Additionally, other faculty could use the research to expand their research or teaching. The information can also provide a practical solution to a design problem by providing new information to assist in a design problem, such as improving access to contraception or providing comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services. Finally, the research can improve the accuracy of a design by providing more detailed information about the needs of the population.
