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Attitudes toward abortion in Zambia
Author(s) -
Geary Cynthia Waszak,
Gebreselassie Hailemichael,
Awah Paschal,
Pearson Erin
Publication year - 2012
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 - 10.1016/s0020-7292(12)60014-9
Subject(s) - legalization , immorality , abortion , unsafe abortion , abortion law , political science , decriminalization , criminology , family planning , psychology , social psychology , economic growth , socioeconomics , medicine , law , sociology , morality , environmental health , population , research methodology , economics , pregnancy , biology , genetics
Despite Zambia's relatively progressive abortion law, women continue to seek unsafe, illegal abortions. Four domains of abortion attitudes – support for legalization, immorality, rights, and access to services – were measured in 4 communities. A total of 668 people were interviewed. Associations among the 4 domains were inconsistent with expectations. The belief that abortion is immoral was widespread, but was not associated with lack of support for legalization. Instead, it was associated with belief that women need access to safe services. These findings suggest that increasing awareness about abortion law in Zambia may be important for encouraging more favorable attitudes.