Determinants and Consequences of Induced Abortion in India: Findings from a Population Based Study

Sutapa Agrawal, South Asia Network for Chronic Disease

The sociodemographic and public health importance of induced abortion in India requires thorough understanding of the factors associated with it. This paper studied the determinants of induced abortion among women in India and to examine the consequences of induced abortion on women’s reproductive health. Analysis is based on 90,303 ever-married women age, 15-49, included in India’s National Family Health Survey, conducted in 1998-99. Binary logistic regression methods were used to examine the association between induced abortion and possible determinants, as well as consequences of induced abortion on women’s reproductive health. This study identifies women’s desire to limit family size with preferred sex composition of children as an important determinant of induced abortion in India and also suggests that induced abortions may have negative consequences for women’s reproductive health. Programs should focus more on the availability and accessibility of contraceptives among women to elude the reproductive health consequences of induced abortion.