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Fact Sheet Abortion in Nigeria

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Fact Sheet Abortion in Nigeria Fact Sheet October 2015 Abortion in Nigeria • In Nigeria, abortion is legal only DESPITE LEGAL RESTRICTIONS, REGIONAL VARIATION when performed to save a woman’s life. ABORTION IS COMMON IN ABORTION RATES Still, abortions are common, and most are • In spite of Nigeria’s highly restrictive • Within Nigeria, rates of abortion vary: unsafe because they are done clandes- abortion law, an estimated 1.25 million In 2012, there were 27 abortions per tinely, by unskilled providers or both. induced abortions occurred in 2012. 1,000 women aged 15–49 in the South The number doubled from an estimated West and North Central zones; 31 per • Unsafe abortion is a major contributor 610,000 in 1996 because of both popula- 1,000 in the North West and South to the country’s high levels of maternal tion growth and an increase in the rate East zones; and 41 and 44 per 1,000 death, ill health and disability. Nigeria in the North East and South South of abortion. has one of the highest maternal mortality zones, respectively. ratios in the world, and little improve- • The estimated abortion rate was 33 • The proportion of pregnancies ending in ment has occurred in recent years. abortions per 1,000 women aged 15–49 induced abortion was lowest in the South in 2012. Although this rate is greater • Contraceptive use remains low in West (11%), and highest in the North Nigeria. In 2013, only 16% of all women than the 1996 rate (23 per 1,000) East (16%) and South South (17%). of reproductive age (15–49) were using estimated in a previous study, the most any contraceptive method, and only 11% prudent conclusion may be that the • The higher rates of abortion in the were using a modern method—levels that abortion rate has increased only slightly, North East and South South zones can be remain virtually unchanged since 2008. as the two rates were calculated using explained by two of the main underlying different approaches. factors that increase women’s need for ONE IN FOUR PREGNANCIES abortion: the desire for smaller families ARE UNINTENDED • Nationally, one in seven pregnancies and the nonuse of contraception. Women • On average, Nigerian women want 5.2 (14%) ended in induced abortion in 2012. in the North East have the country’s children, compared with the 5.5 children they are currently having. 10 Pregnancy Outcomes by Region, Nigeria, 2012 • Fourteen percent of all women aged One in seven pregnancies end in an induced abortion 15–49 in Nigeria have an unmet need for family planning: They are married and/or Nigeria Total 64 8 16 14 sexually active and they want to space their births or stop childbearing, but are By region not using contraceptives. Among sexually South South 52 16 15 17 active unmarried women, 22% have an North East 62 6 15 16 unmet need. % of pregnancies that end in: South East 58 12 16 14 • In 2012, about one-fourth of Nigeria’s 9.2 million pregnancies were unintended North West 70 2 16 13 —a rate of 59 unintended pregnancies North Central 65 8 16 12 per 1,000 women aged 15–49. South West 63 11 16 11 • More than half (56%) of these unin- 010 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 tended pregnancies ended in an induced % of pregnancies that end in: abortion; 32% ended in an unplanned Planned births Unplanned births Miscarriage Abortion birth and 12% in a miscarriage. Note: Percentages may not total 100% because of rounding. lowest rate of contraceptive use • Unsafe abortion places a • Although only a small number SOURCES (only 3% are using a method), serious burden on the nation’s of women are eligible for legal Bankole A et al., The incidence of and women in the South South health system as well on the abortion under current law (to abortion in Nigeria, International have the lowest desired number health and well-being of women save their life), an efficient Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 2015, of children (3.9 on average). and their families. The eco- process should be established 41(4):170–181; Prada E et al., nomic burden is substantial: A that will give these women • The slow uptake of fam- Maternal near-miss due to unsafe Guttmacher study found that access to safe abortion services abortion and associated short ily planning in Nigeria has in 2005, postabortion care in as early as possible in the preg- term health and socioeconomic contributed to the high levels Nigerian hospitals cost US$132 nancy, so that they can benefit consequences in Nigeria, African of unintended pregnancy and Journal of Reproductive Health, per patient, of which US$95 from the use of modern, less abortion. As the number of chil- 2015, 19(2):52–62; and National was paid by families. invasive methods. Population Commission and ICF dren that women and couples International, Nigeria Demographic want declines, their need for IMPLICATIONS AND POLICY • As more women and couples and Health Survey 2013, Abuja, modern contraceptive methods RECOMMENDATIONS in Nigeria choose to have small Nigeria: National Population to achieve their desired family • Most abortions result from families, they will use a com- Commission; and Rockville, MD, USA: size increases. unintended pregnancy. Levels bination of means to achieve ICF International, 2014. of both unintended pregnancy their goals. Additional efforts CREDITS UNSAFE ABORTION IS and unsafe abortion could are therefore needed to prevent DANGEROUS AND COSTLY The study on which this fact sheet is be reduced if the Nigerian unwanted pregnancy and to • Complications of unsafe based was made possible by grants government and its local and reduce levels of unsafe abortion from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign abortion range from pain and international partners increased and its attendant health, eco- Affairs, the UK Government and the bleeding to more serious condi- efforts to expand and promote nomic and social consequences. John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur tions, including sepsis (systemic Foundation. The findings and family planning programs as While greater access to family infection), pelvic infections and conclusions contained within do not well as sexuality and family planning and abortion care injury from instruments—and necessarily reflect the positions and life education throughout the as allowed by current law is policies of the donors. even death. About 40% of country. Programs should offer needed, the facts point to the women undergoing abortion high-quality care that includes additional need for informed experience complications counseling on a wide range of debate on legal reforms that serious enough to require contraceptive methods and the would expand access to com- medical treatment. ability to easily switch methods prehensive abortion care for • Among women treated in when needed. Nigerian women. Nigerian secondary and tertiary • Even with improved con- hospitals in 2012 for complica- traceptive care, some women tions of pregnancy or delivery, will still have unintended almost 10% of “near-miss pregnancies and thus seek events”—cases in which women University of Ibadan unsafe abortions. Expansion of Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria would have died had the health postabortion care services must Tel: +234-708-576-9926; system not intervened— +234-2-7511998 continue to help these women were estimated to be due to [email protected] avoid disability and death. unsafe abortion. Efforts should focus on provid- www.ui.edu.ng • In 2012, 212,000 women ing modern and less invasive were treated in health facilities methods of postabortion care, for complications of induced such as manual vacuum aspi- abortion. In addition, an ration and misoprostol, along estimated 285,000 women had with training of health person- complications from unsafe abor- nel to provide prompt care for tion serious enough to require women suffering from complica- treatment in health facilities, tions of unsafe procedures. but did not obtain the care they needed. 125 Maiden Lane New York, NY 10038 USA Tel: 212.248.1111 [email protected] www.guttmacher.org October 2015.
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