International Journal of Women's Health

National estimates of Liberia's 2021 unintended pregnancy and induced abortion

Authors

Boniface Ayanbekongshie Ushie, African Population and Health Research Center Margaret Giorgio, Guttmacher Institute Kenneth Juma , African Population Health and Research Center Vekeh Lama Donzo, Department of Programs, Clinton Health Access Initiative Jesse Philbin, Guttmacher Institute Lily Lu, Department of Programs, Clinton Health Access Initiative Akinrinola Bankole, Guttmacher Institute Moses B F Massaquoi Snr, Department of Programs, Clinton Health Access Initiative Ramatou Ouedraogo, African Population and Health Research Center Nelson Konteh Dunbar, Department of Research, Ministry of Health, Monrovia, Liberia

Purpose

More than 60% of unintended pregnancies globally end in induced abortions. In Liberia, limited access to contraceptives leads to many unintended pregnancies, with little known about the incidence of induced abortion and unintended pregnancy in the country. This study aimed to estimate the incidence of induced abortion and unintended pregnancy in Liberia in 2021.

 

Methods

The Abortion Incidence Complications Method was used. First, the induced abortions that resulted in women seeking facility-based post-abortion care (PAC) in 2021 were estimated using data from a nationally representative sample of health facilities (n=128). Next, data from a survey of experts on abortion in Liberia (n=89) were used to estimate the proportion of induced abortions that resulted in complications treated in health facilities in 2021. The inverse of this proportion is a multiplier, which was applied to the estimate of the total induced abortion-related complications treated in health facilities, generating the total induced abortions in 2021. This estimate of induced abortion was complemented with the Demographic Health Survey data to estimate the 2021 incidence of unintended pregnancies in Liberia.

 

Results


An estimated 14,555 women received PAC treatment in Liberia in 2021. Approximately 58% of these PAC cases (n=8461) were due to induced abortions. Accounting for uncomplicated induced abortions and complicated abortions not requiring facility-based treatment, an estimated 38,779 induced abortions occurred in Liberia in 2021, corresponding to a national induced abortion incidence rate of 30.7 per 1000 women of reproductive age (WRA) (15–49). The unintended pregnancy rate among WRA was 86.54 per 1000, and approximately 35.0% of all pregnancies ended in induced abortions.

 

Conclusion


Despite the legal restrictions on abortions, unintended pregnancy and induced abortion are common in Liberia. Increasing access to contraceptives, safe abortion care, and quality PAC will improve socioeconomic and health outcomes for women/girls in Liberia.

First published on International Journal of Women's Health:

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2147/IJWH.S558100

Topic

Global

Geography