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BMC Women's Health
Published in: BMC Women's Health 1/2015

Open Access 01-12-2015 | Research article

Marital status and abortion among young women in Rupandehi, Nepal

Authors: Kathryn L Andersen, Ram Chandra Khanal, Alexandra Teixeira, Shailes Neupane, Sharad Sharma, Valerie N Acre, Maria F Gallo

Published in: BMC Women's Health | Issue 1/2015

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Abstract

Background

Despite liberalization of the Nepal abortion law, young women continue to experience barriers to safe abortion services. We hypothesize that marital status may differentially impact such barriers, given the societal context of Nepal.

Methods

We evaluated differences in reproductive knowledge and attitudes by marital status with a probability-based, cross-sectional survey of young women in Rupandehi district, Nepal. Participants (N = 600) were surveyed in 2012 on demographics, romantic experiences, media habits, reproductive information, and abortion knowledge and attitudes. We used logistic regression to assess differences by marital status, controlling for age.

Results

Participants, who comprised never-married (54%) and ever-married women (45%), reported good access to basic reproductive health and abortion information. Social desirability bias might have prevented reporting of premarital romantic and sexual activity given that participants reported more premarital activities for their friends than for themselves. Only 45% knew that abortion was legal, and fewer ever-married women were aware of abortion legality. Never-married women expected more negative responses from having an abortion than ever-married women.

Conclusions

Findings highlight the need for providing sexual and reproductive health care information and services to young women regardless of marital status.
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Metadata
Title
Marital status and abortion among young women in Rupandehi, Nepal
Authors
Kathryn L Andersen
Ram Chandra Khanal
Alexandra Teixeira
Shailes Neupane
Sharad Sharma
Valerie N Acre
Maria F Gallo
Publication date
01-12-2015
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Women's Health / Issue 1/2015
Electronic ISSN: 1472-6874
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-015-0175-4

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