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Preventing and Terminating Unwanted Pregnancies in Turkey
Author(s) -
Kavlak Oya,
Atan Senay Unsal,
Saruhan Aynur,
Sevil Umran
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
journal of nursing scholarship
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.009
H-Index - 80
eISSN - 1547-5069
pISSN - 1527-6546
DOI - 10.1111/j.1547-5069.2006.00070.x
Subject(s) - abortion , medicine , family planning , pregnancy , emergency contraception , obstetrics , gynecology , family medicine , population , research methodology , environmental health , genetics , biology
Purpose : To determine the methods used to prevent pregnancy by women seeking abortion of unwanted pregnancy, their knowledge and use of emergency contraception, and reasons for wanting the abortion.Design : The sample was 144 randomly selected women, who requested abortion for termination of their pregnancies at two hospitals in Izmir, Turkey, during the study period.Methods : A questionnaire was completed by the researcher in face‐to‐face interviews.Findings : In this sample 43.8% had had previous abortions; 77.1% used some method of family planning; 7.0% used emergency contraceptives. The methods selected after unprotected sexual intercourse by these women included vaginal douche (37.5%), waiting to see whether the menstrual cycle would begin (27.0%), going to a hospital or maternal‐child health center (24.3%), and two other alternatives (4.2%). One‐fifth of the women said that, if they get pregnant again, they will have another abortion.Conclusions : The number of unwanted pregnancies is high and many women seek abortions as a birth control method. Women in this sample needed information about effective methods for preventing pregnancy.