Demographic characteristics, socioeconomic profile and contraceptive behaviour in patients with abortion at Jimma Hospital, Ethiopia.

This is a descriptive prospective study on abortion patients admitted to Jimma Hospital, south west Ethiopia from September 1992 to August 1993. Forty four Percent (N = 285) of the patients admitted were interviewed using a questionnaire. Fifty three percent (N = 151) had induced while the remaining had spontaneous abortion. Patients with induced abortion were younger (P = 0.0000) and had smaller family size (P = 0.06283) than patients with spontaneous abortion. Induced abortion was more common among students (30.9%) and those with secondary education (71.8%) whereas spontaneous abortion was most common among housewives (64.4%). Almost 50% of the patients with induced abortion were married. Eighty two percent of all interviewed had unwanted pregnancies. The contraceptive methods most commonly used were the pill and abstinence. Fifty patients got pregnant while on the pill. The most common reason for not using contraceptives or discontinuation was the side effects associated with the pill.