M.Med. (Obstetrics and Gynaecology), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand,2008 / The aim of this study was to assess the demographic characteristics and contraceptive practices of women requesting termination of pregnancy (TOP) at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital (CHBH). The study will provide insight into the reasons for contraceptive „failure‟ or non-use. Methods This is a cross sectional questionnaire survey. Subjects for the study were recruited from clients requesting TOP at the Gynaecology clinic (ward 54), CHBH. They included women between 13 to 49 years, who were referred from their local clinic or General practitioner with a positive pregnancy test or a pregnancy confirmed on sonar, and were less than 20 weeks pregnant. Consenting women completed a self-administered questionnaire which assessed their demographic details, current contraceptive use, past contraceptive experience, future contraceptive plans, knowledge of emergency contraceptive pill, and the current status of the relationship, initial intention with regard to the pregnancy, and the number of sexual partners they had in the last year. The data was analysed using the Epi Info 6 software programme. Results There were 780 requests for TOP during the study period. Two hundred and twenty nine women were approached to participate in the study and 203 questionnaires were analysed, i.e. an 89% analysable response rate. The mean age of the respondents was 25 years (range 13 - 42 years), the mean parity was 1.3 (range 0 to 9), 35% were still in school, 28% were unemployed and 70% were financially dependent on their parents, partners, or other relatives. A total of 56% of the respondents reported that they were using contraception when they conceived. Only 11% of the respondents knew of the emergency contraception pill. Eighty two percent of the respondents knew where to obtain contraceptives and only 7% had experienced actual difficulty in obtaining contraception. However, 46% thought they received „too little‟ information about contraception at their local clinic and 26% said that the contraceptive method they received was the healthcare provider‟s choice. Up to 47% of the respondents were either unsure of the contraceptive method they would use or would not use any contraception following the TOP. However, 43% would use a highly reliable contraceptive method (the oral contraceptive pill, injectable contraceptive, or sterilisation). Regarding the status of the relationship which resulted in the pregnancy, 44% were no longer in a permanent relationship (41% were and 11% never were). Twenty two percent of the respondents initially wanted the pregnancy. Conclusions Twenty two percent of the respondents initially wanted the pregnancy and would not have been helped by better provision of contraception. A large number of respondents reported contraceptive failure. Knowledge of emergency contraception was poor, and its use should be better promoted for cases of contraceptive failure. It is alarming that up to 47% of the clients could not use contraception in the future. Perhaps more time should be spent on contraceptive counselling and initiation of a method on site, with referral and follow-up at primary health clinics to improve uptake of contraception. Only 2.5% of the respondents were having a repeat TOP.

A RESEARCH REPORT SUBMITTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF THE WITWATERSRAND IN FULFILLMENT OF THE MASTER OF MEDICINE DEGREE / Introduction South Africa has a high prevalence of unintended pregnancies and HIV. Sixty eight thousand women die due to unsafe abortion annually worldwide, making it a leading cause of maternal mortality. In SA the maternal mortality has decreased from TOP. Maternal mortality from HIV is the leading cause of maternal mortality in South Africa. Unintended pregnancies are mainly a consequence of inconsistent and incorrect contraceptive use. The condom is the only contraceptive method which has the dual ability of preventing HIV and unintended pregnancies. We postulate that the failure of barrier contraception is a risk for both HIV and unwanted pregnancy. This study describes the contraceptive methods used by women at a TOP clinic and evaluates the use of barrier contraceptives amongst women requesting TOP, and the prevalence of HIV. Methods CHBAH is tertiary hospital in Southern Gauteng. Women with medical or surgical comorbidities that request a TOP are referred to the hospital. A prospective study using a cross sectional study design was performed at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital TOP clinic between February and October 2011. Data was collected using interviews and medical files. Results One hundred and nineteen women were interviewed. Most women 56 (47.06%) did not use any contraception at the time of conception. The most common reason for TOP was financial constraints, followed by relationship conflict. Pregnancy despite condom use was 34.45% (n=41). The percentage of women with condom failure, who were HIV positive was 34.14% (n=14). True condom failure was experienced by 12 women (pregnancy due to breakage/slippage of the condom. Conclusion Unintended pregnancy is mainly associated with not using contraceptives. The male condom was the most widely used contraceptive. The HIV prevalence in the group with condom failure was higher than the general antenatal population. There is a need for education regarding correct and consistent use of contraception.

O conhecimento da incidência e das características do aborto provocado, sobretudo o ilegal, é de grande interesse tanto para a Saúde Pública, como para a Demografia. Não obstante, poucos são os estudos na América Latina e no Brasil, que se propõem a investigar sua ocorrência. Ocorre que a conotação de \"crime\", que lhe é atribuída, dificulta sobremaneira sua abordagem. A presente pesquisa foi realizada entre 2.000 mulheres em idade fértil - 15 a 49 anos -, residentes no sub-distrito de Vila Madalena, São Paulo, Brasil, com o objetivo central de aprofundar o conhecimento do aborto provocado, relacionando-o a variáveis sociais, econômicas e demográficas, reconhecidamente ligados à sua ocorrência, e, especialmente à fecundidade. Em caráter experimental, utilizou-se a Técnica de Resposta ao Azar (TRA) que, segundo a literatura internacional, propicia a obtenção de informação mais fidedigna. A avaliação da viabilidade deta técnica é outro objetivo da pesquisa. Pela TRA pôde-se estimar que 41 em cada 1.000 mulheres, provocaram um aborto em 1987, enquanto apenas 8 em 1000 mulheres admitiram, por abordagem direta, terem provocado um aborto nesse período. Os resultados confirmam, por um lado, omissões voluntárias de informação e, por outro, a conveniência de se trabalhar com a TRA. A análise de diferenciais dos abortos ocorridos no transcorrer da vida reprodutiva, identificou as não casadas, as sem nascidos vivos, as com menor nascimentos que o desejado, as que possuem entre 15 e 19 anos de idade, as que verbalizaram aceitar a prática do aborto provocado em qualquer circunstância, como sendo as categorias de mulheres que ao engravidarem, recorrem com maior intensidade ao abortamento provocado. Mediante o estabelecimento de paralelismos entre TRA e abordagem direta, pôde-se evidenciar que as mulheres que mais omitem informação são, em geral, as que mais abortam. A elaboração dos modelos multivariados, por sua vez, permitiu evidenciar que, não possuir restrições à prática do aborto e não ser casada, são potenciais fatores de risco. Ao que tudo indica, enquanto as mulheres não casadas, particularmente as solteiras, recorrem ao aborto para se livrarem de uma gravidez indesejada, as casadas o buscam para manter o número de filhos dentro dos limites desejados ou para espaçar um nascimento de outro. Há razões para se suspeitar que a prática do aborto se intensificará em nosso meio, num futuro próximo. Ao que parece, nem a renda familiar nem a escolaridade, intervêem na opção da mulher pelo aborto. Enfim, apesar das dificuldades existentes em se trabalhar o tema aborto, os resultados conseguidos nesta pesquisa, deste ponto de vista, superaram a expectativa, fundamentalmente, em função do sucesso da TRA. / The incidence and associated factors related with illegal induced abort are areas of interest for Public Health and Demography. Nevertheless, there are few studies in Brazil and others countries of Latin America about it. It\' s possible that this omission can be justified by the fact that abort is considered crime in these countries. This study looks toward filling this lack of infonnation. An specific questionnaire was used to get more trustworthy information, the Randomized Response Technic (RRT). The results of this questionnaire were compared with the usual direct way of getting information. Social, economic and demographic variables related with fertility were studied. The studied population was two thousand women between 15 and 49 years old, the fertile period. They live on Vila Madalena, a neighborhood of São Paulo city, Brazil. The estimate incidence of induced abort in 1987 by RRT was 41/1000 women and by the usual direct way was 8/1000 women. This difference justify the use of the RRT in this kind of research. It was observed that women who more omit information, have more history of abort. The univariate analyses identified the following associated factors with induced abort: not married, without lifeborn children, age between 15 and 19 years old, those who accept the practice of induced abmt in any circumstance, and women with less children then desired. At the multivariate analyses, it remained in the model the following factors: not married and accept the practice of induced abort in any circumstance. Family income and schoollevel were not associated with induced abort in this studied population. The results are coherent with what it\'s expected and they demonstrate the value of the RRT questionnaire.

acase@tulane.edu / Gendered social stigmas including those surrounding pregnancy, abortion, and adoption are pervasive, as it is estimated that a majority of women will experience one or more throughout their life course. Seeking to explore the social norms and mechanisms surrounding pregnancy and pregnancy-related choices in the demographic of elite private university students, the present study investigated how undergraduate students perceive pregnancy amongst their fellow unmarried undergraduate peers. Specifically, this study examined whether an undergraduate woman’s decision to have an abortion, carry to term and raise the child, or carry to term and place the child for adoption affects others’ perceptions of the woman herself. The findings are complex, as results suggest than an unmarried undergraduate woman may be judged differently depending on her pregnancy and her subsequent choices regarding that pregnancy, with the most extreme differences emerging between a woman who chooses carry to term and raise the child and a woman who chooses abortion. Furthermore, the results suggest that a pregnant undergraduate woman, regardless of whether she chooses to have an abortion or to carry to term, may face negative judgment from her peers. Whereas a woman who chooses to have an abortion is perceived as less moral and warm than a woman who chooses to raise her child, a woman who chooses to raise her child is perceived as having lower career aspirations than a woman who has an abortion. Moderation by abortion approval and religiosity were also examined. Findings are discussed in light of a stigma tradeoffs model. / 1 / Meagan E Magaldi

No description available.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Georgia State University, 2005. / Title from title screen. Michael Binford, committee chair; Alison Calhoun-Brown, Stephen Nicholson, committee members. Electronic text (120 p.) : digital, PDF file. Description based on contents viewed Apr. 24, 2007. Includes bibliographical references (p. 107-109).

This project analyzes the changing views on abortion and capital punishment and how opinions have changed over the past 35 years. This is an analysis of how different backgrounds and demographic factors affect people’s standpoints toward these two practices.

Thesis (Dr. P.H.)--University of Michigan, 1933. / Title page lacking. Thesis note on p. [2]. Bibliography: p. 107; "Bibliographies": p. 115-118.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2000. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 92-100).

Thesis (Ph. L.)--Catholic University of America, 2000. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 64-66).