Abstract:
Unsafe abortion is considered to be a widely underestimated issue in
reproductive health care, and it poses a significant danger to the health of
young women. The study sought to explore unsafe abortion: The experiences
of young women in the Cape Coast Metropolis of Ghana. The theory of
planned behaviour served as foundational guide for the study. The
philosophical underpinning was interpretivism. The study employed the
qualitative research approach and data was collected from 21 participants with
an interview guide or through in-depth interviews. The study revealed,
aborters had little knowledge on safe abortion given that the first point of
contact were their sexual partners, friends and guardians who ultimately
influenced their decision to engage in unsafe abortion. The study discovered
that young women chose risky abortion methods because of issues such as the
need to further their education, find marriage partners, and avoid being
stigmatized by their families and society. Finally, the study revealed that
financial losses, psychological traumas continuous bleeding, vaginal
infections, infertility and sometimes removal of their foetus were among the
challenges of unsafe abortion. The study recommended the need to intensify
awareness creation on the negative effects of unsafe abortion by Health
professionals at PPAG and interberton.
