5067.0: Wednesday, November 15, 2000 - 9:06 AM

Abstract #14515

Perceptions and determinants of abortion among adolescents in rural Burkina Faso: findings from qualitative and two-year panel studies

François Tall, PhD1, Nagalo Kisito, MD1, Georges Guiella, PhD2, Inoussa Kabore, MD3, and Placide Tapsoba, MD4. (1) Department of Family Health, Burkina Faso Ministry of Health, 01 BP 7247, Ouagadougou 01, Burkina Faso, (2) Demographic Research and Information Unit, Université de Ouagadougou, BP 7118, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, (3) The Population Council - Burkina Faso, 01 BP 6250, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, (226) 31 12 43, ikabore@popcouncil.bf, (4) The Population Council - Dakar, BP 21027, Dakar, Senegal

In 1995, the Burkina Faso Ministry of Health (MOH) developed a field station to provide a range of reproductive health services to the population in rural Bazèga, Burkina Faso, West Africa. The field station was developed to test different interventions using a factorial four-celled experimental design: 1) intervention cell with clinic-strengthening activities; 2) intervention cell with clinic-strengthening activities and introduction of volunteer community-based distribution workers; 3) control cell with regular MOH services; and 4) comparison cell with paid community-based distribution workers introduced by an international NGO. Prior to interventions, a panel baseline survey was conducted in all four cells in a sample of 2,500 women and, two years after, a follow-up panel on the same women was done to measure the impact of the interventions. A qualitative assessment was undertaken to understand the perception and the determinants of abortion among adolescents (boys and girls) in the district.

This paper will present the findings from both the panel and the qualitative assessments. Specifically these results will focus on: the reasons for abortion practices in rural area, the prevalence of the abortion among adolescents, the implication and attitude of the partners, the means used for the abortion and potential interventions expected.

Learning Objectives: By the end of this session, the participant in this session will be able to discuss the dynamics of abortion as well as articulate opportunities for prevention of unsafe abortion

Keywords: Adolescent Health, Abortion

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.

The 128th Annual Meeting of APHA