Exploring Unmet Need: Contraceptive Use Patterns Among Repeat Abortion Seekers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Ndola Prata, University of California, Berkeley
Martine Holston, Venture Strategies
Caitlin Gerdts, University of California, Berkeley
Melkamu Yilma, Addis Ababa University

This paper seeks to describe demographic characteristics of clients seeking abortion services in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to explore their contraceptive use patterns and choices—with a focus on repeat abortion seekers, and to make recommendations for improving family planning services for women in Addis Ababa and similar urban settings. We analyzed the service statistics of 1,200 women seeking abortion-related care from October 2008 to February 2009 in six health facilities in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. One third of women had a previous abortion. These women were more likely to be married (48% vs. 39%), have higher levels of education (79% vs. 73%), have ever used contraceptives (69% vs. 51%), and reported higher use of short-term reversible methods (47% vs. 29%) than women seeking first-time abortions. Post-abortion family planning services need to pay special attention to repeat abortion clients. Contraceptive counseling for repeat abortion clients must address reasons for previous contraceptive failure.