Abstract:
ntroduction: Unsafe abortion is a leading cause of maternal morbidity and
mortality in Kenya. In the developing world approximately 35 million people
live with HIV/AIDS. The aim of this study was to establish the correlation
between unsafe abortion and HIV seropositive status.
Methods: This was a cross sectional study. Participants were selected using
simple random sampling. Data was collected using a self-administered
questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS version 21.0. at a statistical threshold
of p<0.05.
Findings: Seventy-two women of reproductive age participated in the study.
Proportion of unsafe abortion was high among respondents aged 20 years.
Among 33% of the participants who had ever been pregnant, 66% procured
an unsafe abortion. The study depicted an association between knowledge of
HIV status and the participants decision to procure unsafe abortion
(p=0.0023). Similarly, women who had ever had an abortion in their previous
pregnancies were more likely to procure an abortion on learning their HIV
seropositive status (OR- 8.504, p=< 0.0001).
Conclusion: HIV seropositive status influences women’s decision to procure
unsafe abortion. Therefore, there is need for improved access to sexual and
reproductive health services within the four-pronged context of elimination
of Mother to Child Transmission(eMTCT).
KEYWORDS
