Knowledge And Perceptions About The Abortion Law of Ghana The Case of Ayawaso West Sub Metropolitan Area, Accra

ABSTRACT

Context: Though Ghana has one of the most liberalized abortion laws, maternal mortality from abortion is twenty three percent. Most of these abortions are due to unsafe illegal abortions. Public and health providers‟ knowledge and perceptions about abortion law affect access to safe abortion services. The main objective of the study is to determine the level of knowledge and perception of the abortion law of Ghana among different population sub- groups in the Ayawaso West Sub-Metropolitan Area. Methods: Thousand and three (1003) respondents (men and women) aged between fifteen to forty nine years were selected using systematic random sampling from University, senior high school, post senior high school students, health care providers and others with educational background below senior high school in the Ayawaso West sub-metro. Data were collected by interview using semi-structured questionnaire and analyzed to explore knowledge and perceptions about the abortion law of Ghana. Logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with respondents‟ knowledge and their perceptions about the abortion law. Results: 77% of the respondents had low knowledge with 23% showing high knowledge of the abortion law. Age group (20-29) and low education were associated with lower odds of knowing the law, whiles marriage and a history of emergency contraceptive usage were associated with higher odds of knowing the law. Percentages of respondents agreeing to abortion in cases of life of the mother at risk, health of mother at risk, and fetal malformation are 85%, 77% and 64% respectively. Percentages of respondents agreeing to abortion in cases of rape, incest and when the mental health of the mother is involved are 56%, 47% and 57% respectively. Low education, rural residency and increased attendance at religious activities were associated with conservatism towards the abortion law, whiles health profession, history of an emergency contraceptive usage, vi having done or knowing someone with a history of abortion were associated with liberal perception towards the abortion law. Overall knowledge of the abortion law was found to be associated with liberal perceptions about the law. Conclusion: The overall knowledge of the abortion law is low, and knowledge is found to be associated with perceptions about the Law.