Skip to main content

Guttmacher Institute

Donate Now

Highlights

  • Roe v. Wade Overturned
  • COVID-19 impact
  • Reproductive Health Impact Study
  • Adding It Up
  • Abortion Worldwide
  • Guttmacher-Lancet Commission
  • U.S. policy resources
  • State policy resources
  • State legislation tracker

Reports

  • Global
  • U.S.

Articles

  • Global research
  • U.S. research
  • Policy analysis
  • Guttmacher Policy Review
  • Op-eds & external blogs

Fact Sheets

  • Global
  • U.S.
  • U.S. State Laws and Policies

Data & Visualizations

  • Data center
  • Infographics
  • Public-use data sets

Peer-Reviewed Journals

  • International Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health
  • Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health

Global

  • Abortion
  • Contraception
  • HIV & STIs
  • Pregnancy
  • Teens

U.S.

  • Abortion
  • Contraception
  • HIV & STIs
  • Pregnancy
  • Teens

Our Work By Geography

  • Global
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Latin America & the Caribbean
  • Northern America
  • Oceania

Who We Are

  • About
  • Staff
  • Board
  • Job opportunities
  • History
  • Contact
  • Conflict of Interest Policy

Media

  • Media office
  • News releases

Support Our Work

  • Make a gift today
  • Monthly Giving Circle
  • Donate stock or securites
  • Guttmacher Legacy Circle
  • Financials
  • Annual Report

Awards and Scholarships

  • Darroch Award
  • Richards Scholarship
  • Bixby Fellowship

Search form

Good reproductive health policy starts with credible research

 

Connect With Us

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • Email
Guttmacher Institute

Good reproductive health policy starts with credible research

 

Donate Now

Connect With Us

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • Email

Highlights

  • Roe v. Wade Overturned
  • COVID-19 impact
  • Reproductive Health Impact Study
  • Adding It Up
  • Abortion Worldwide
  • Guttmacher-Lancet Commission
  • U.S. policy resources
  • State policy resources
  • State legislation tracker

Reports

  • Global
  • U.S.

Articles

  • Global research
  • U.S. research
  • Policy analysis
  • Guttmacher Policy Review
  • Op-eds & external blogs

Fact Sheets

  • Global
  • U.S.
  • U.S. State Laws and Policies

Data & Visualizations

  • Data center
  • Infographics
  • Public-use data sets

Peer-Reviewed Journals

  • International Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health
  • Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health

Global

  • Abortion
  • Contraception
  • HIV & STIs
  • Pregnancy
  • Teens

U.S.

  • Abortion
  • Contraception
  • HIV & STIs
  • Pregnancy
  • Teens

Our Work By Geography

  • Global
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Latin America & the Caribbean
  • Northern America
  • Oceania

Who We Are

  • About
  • Staff
  • Board
  • Job opportunities
  • History
  • Contact
  • Conflict of Interest Policy

Media

  • Media office
  • News releases

Support Our Work

  • Make a gift today
  • Monthly Giving Circle
  • Donate stock or securites
  • Guttmacher Legacy Circle
  • Financials
  • Annual Report

Awards and Scholarships

  • Darroch Award
  • Richards Scholarship
  • Bixby Fellowship

Search form

BMJ Open
September 2021

Unintended pregnancy, induced abortion and abortion care-seeking experiences among adolescents in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo: a cross-sectional study

Adesegun O. Fatusi
Taylor Riley
Patrick Kayembe,University of Kinshasa
Crispin Mabika,University of Kinshasa
The time is now. Will you stand up for reproductive health and rights?
Donate Now
First published online: September 2, 2021

Objectives To estimate age-specific abortion incidence and unintended pregnancy in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo and compare care experiences between adolescents (15–19 years) and older women (20–49 years).

Design We used the age-specific variant of the Abortion Incidence Complications Method to estimate abortion and unintended pregnancy, with data from three primary sources: Health Facility Survey (n=361) provided postabortion care (PAC) caseloads; Prospective Morbidity Survey (n=1031) provided the age distribution and characteristics of women presenting for PAC and Health Professional Survey (n=115) provided an estimate of the proportion of abortions resulting in facility-based treatment of complications. Bivariate (χ2 , t-test) and multivariable (binary logistic regression, Cox proportional hazard) analyses were used to compare abortion care experiences.

Setting Health facilities proving PAC in Kinshasa. Participants Women who presented to PAC facilities with abortion complications and their care providers. Primary and secondary outcome measures The primary measures were abortion incidence and proportion of pregnancies unintended. The secondary measures were the odd of reporting specific abortion care experiences.

Results Adolescents had an estimated 27 590 induced abortions, constituting 18.8% of abortions in Kinshasa in 2016. Adolescents had the lowest abortion rate among women less than 35 years (55.2/1000women) but the highest rate among ever sexually active women (138.4/1000) and recently sexually active women (167.2/1000). Also, adolescents had the highest abortion ratio (82.4/100 live births), proportion of pregnancies unintended (80%) and proportion of unintended pregnancies ending in abortion (49%). Compared with older women, adolescents had higher odds of reporting pregnancy unintendedness (adjusted OR, AOR 1.36, 95% CI 1.75 to 2.24), seeking abortion at later than first trimester (AOR 1.34, 95%CI 1.09 to 1.63) and from nonmedical professionals (AOR 1.68, 95%CI 1.31 to 2.14), and not using contraceptives before pregnancy (AOR 2.23, 95%CI 2.77 to 3.43) or postabortion (AOR 2.46, 95%CI 1.87 to 3.29).

Full article available at BMJ Open
Printer-friendly version

Share

FacebookTwitterEmail

Read More

Research Article

Assessing Readiness to Provide Comprehensive Abortion Care in the Democratic Republic of the Congo After Passage of the Maputo Protocol

International Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health
Report

From Unsafe to Safe Abortion in Sub-Saharan Africa: Slow but Steady Progress

Fact Sheet

Abortion in Sub-Saharan Africa

Fact Sheet

Abortion Incidence and Unintended Pregnancy Among Adolescents in Zimbabwe

Fact Sheet

Investing in Sexual and Reproductive Health in Western Africa

Fact Sheet

Unintended Pregnancy and Abortion Among Adolescents in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo

Topic

Global

  • Abortion: Legality and Safety
  • Teens

Geography

  • Africa: Democratic Republic of the Congo

Tags

adolescents
Guttmacher Institute
Reproductive rights are under attack. Will you help us fight back with facts?
Donate Now
Follow Guttmacher:

Connect With Us

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn

Footer Menu

  • Privacy Policy
© 2022 Guttmacher Institute. The Guttmacher Institute is registered as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization under the tax identification number 13-2890727. Contributions are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowable.

Get Our Updates