Factors Influencing Health Workers’ Attitudes and Perceptions Towards Abortion: A Case Study in the Ketu South Municipality in the Volta Region of Ghana

Abstract

Background: An abortion is said to be safe if and only if it is carried out using a recommended method by WHO, appropriate to the pregnancy duration and by someone with the necessary skills. That rightly suggests that any abortion done in the absence of the above factors is unsafe (WHO, 2021). In view of that, 45% of all induced abortions globally are unsafe and a third of all unsafe abortions were carried out by untrained persons using dangerous and invasive methods. The Ghana Statistical Service discovered that 15% of all women in the reproductive age group (15-49 years) have practiced unsafe abortions (Atakro et al., 2019). One key category of external people whose actions, directly and indirectly, influence the rise of unsafe abortions is healthcare workers or providers (Loi et al., 2015). Methodology: This study used a cross-sectional quantitative design. A sample size of 250 was derived from Yamane’s formula, the systematic random sampling technique used in recruiting respondents from 13 health facilities, Data was sourced from questionnaires for the study. Data retrieved were analyzed using a statistical software tool, STATA. Descriptive statistical analyses were carried out to obtain summary tables and graphs containing the demographic characteristics of the study participants. Results obtained were expressed as means, frequencies, and percentages, and then graphed. Univariate, bivariate, and multivariate logistic regression analysis were done to ascertain which factors influenced participants' perception and attitude towards abortion. Results: The study found that the majority 161(64.27%) of health workers had a good perception of abortion and it was revealed that the majority 147(58.75%) of the health workers had an unfavorable attitude towards abortion. It was also revealed that the only factor found to influence the perception of the health workers on abortion was the marital status of the respondents. Age and work duration were also found to significantly influence the attitude of the health workers. Conclusion: Therefore, it is concluded that the health workers have a good perception of abortion but exhibited an unfavorable attitude towards abortion. It is recommended that health workers are trained and given the necessary tools to enable them to assist people in need of abortion services.