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Prevalence of conscientious objection to legal abortion among clinicians in northern Ghana
Author(s) -
AwoonorWilliams John K.,
Baffoe Peter,
Ayivor Philip K.,
Fofie Chris,
Desai Sheila,
Chavkin Wendy
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
international journal of gynecology and obstetrics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.895
H-Index - 97
eISSN - 1879-3479
pISSN - 0020-7292
DOI - 10.1002/ijgo.12328
Subject(s) - abortion , medicine , conscientious objector , family medicine , cross sectional study , abortion law , descriptive statistics , family planning , pregnancy , environmental health , population , law , research methodology , genetics , spanish civil war , pathology , political science , statistics , mathematics , biology
Objective To assess the prevalence of conscientious objection ( CO ), motivations, knowledge of Ghana's abortion law, attitudes, and behaviors toward abortion provision among medical providers in northern Ghana, and measures to regulate CO . Methods Between June and November 2015, the present cross‐sectional survey‐based descriptive study measured prevalence, knowledge, and attitudes about CO among 213 eligible health practitioners who were trained in abortion provision and working in hospital facilities in northern Ghana. Results were stratified by facility ownership and provider type. Results Approximately half (94/213, 44.1%) of trained providers reported that they were currently providing abortions. The overall prevalence of self‐identified and hypothetical objection was 37.9% and 33.8%, respectively. Among 87 physicians, 37 (42.5%) and 39 (44.8%) were categorized as self‐identified and hypothetical objectors, respectively. Among 126 midwives, nurses, and physician assistants, 43 (34.7%) and 33 (26.2%) were coded as self‐identified and hypothetical objectors, respectively. A high proportion of providers reported familiarity with Ghana's abortion law and supported regulation of CO . Conclusion CO based on moral and religious grounds is prevalent in northern Ghana. Providers indicated an acceptance of policies and guidelines that would regulate its application to reduce the burden that CO poses for women seeking abortion services.