ASSESSMENT OF KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDE TOWARDS UNSAFE ABORTIONS AMONG ADOLESCENT GIRLS AGED 15-19 YEARS IN KANYAMEDHA VILLAGE

Abstract

Unsafe abortion is a public health concern because of its direct reproductive consequences and impact on maternal mobility and mortality. Handling this problem will go to a long way towards achieving one of the millennium developmental goals, which aim to reduce overall maternal mortality. Adolescent girls die from complication of unsafe abortion in developing countries because most have little knowledge about how to safely access abortion care. Studies on knowledge , attitude and associated factors towards safe abortion are limited in general and particularly among adolescent girls in Kanyamedha village.The main aim of this study was to assess the knowledge and attitude towards unsafe abortion among adolescent girls aged 15-19 years in Kanyamedha village, A descriptive cross sectional research design was used to collect data. A sample of 146 girls were subjected with questionnaires that capture data on assessment on knowledge on abortion. The target population consisted of all girls of adolescent aged 15-19 years old of school going and non- school going in Kanyamedha village.Data collected was analyzed and integrated using mathematical analysis (Granehelm,2014).Statistical analysis of the data will be performed using SPSS version 17(SPSSINC.chicago.USA). The results of the analysis is to be summarized using tables, graphics and pie charts. Basically the research findings showed that majority of the respondent (65%) had good knowledge towards unsafe abortion.Most of the respondents (86.3%) knew that abortion was illegal and it could lead to death.Regarding attitude, very few of the adolescent (11.2%) would encourage a collegue to abort despite majority of the respondents not being in support of abortion.Most of the respondents (92%) had negative perception about abortion while very few adolescent (8%) perceived abortion in a more positive way.More than the adolescent girls had good knowledge andattitude towards unsafe abortion but still a significant proportion of adolescent girls have poor knowledge and unfavourable attitude.