Socio-cultural factors in adolescent septic illicit abortions in Ilorin, Nigeria

Abstract

One hundred and ninety-two adolescents (aged 12-18 years) with septic illicit abortions were interviewed to assess socio-cultural factors associated with illegally induced septic abortions at Ilorin, Nigeria. They were mostly unmarried school girls who were ignorant of contraception. Inadequate parental supervision contributed largely to unplanned pregnancies, while poor economic state of these patients influenced the occurrence of illegal septic abortions. The widespread availability of an acceptable family-life education, with improved socio-economic state of the adolescents, would most probably reduce the socio-cultural factors favouring illicit septic induced abortions in this community.