Determinants of induced abortion among second-trimester pregnant women attending Dessie City health facilities, Northeast Ethiopia: a case-control study

Introduction: Globally, 10-15% of induced abortions occur in the second-trimester period, over half of which is considered unsafe, and disproportionately contribute to maternal deaths. However, there are limited information about determinants of induced abortion in second-trimester in the country, particularly in the study area. Therefore, this study aimed to identify determinants of induced abortion in the second-trimester. Material and methods: Unmatched case-control study was conducted in Dessie City Northeast Ethiopia from January to March 2019. A total sample of 390 patients were included in the study, with a ratio of 1 : 2 (case : controls). Data were assessed in Epi data version 3.1 and analyzed with SPSS version 25. Multivariable logistic regression model was applied to identify determinants of induced abortion. Adjusted odds ratio with 95% confidence interval (CI) was used to measure the effect size of predictors. Results: The mean age of cases was 25 years (+/- 6.6) and 29.3 years (+/- 5.3) of controls. Seventy six (58.5%) cases were not currently married compared with 19 (7.3%) controls. Study participants who were currently not married (AOR = 10.82; 95% CI: 5.01-23.36%), having poor knowledge about induced abortion (AOR = 3.03; 95% CI: 1.46-6.26%), uncertainty about last normal menstrual period (AOR = 4.12; 95% CI: 2.01-8.44%), late pregnancy testing (AOR = 5.94; 95% CI: 2.5-14.15%), not using contraceptives (AOR = 3.70; 95% CI: 1.85-7.44%), having irregular menstrual cycle (AOR = 4.83; 95% CI: 2.41-9.70%), and three and more live births (AOR = 0.25; 95% CI: 0.11-0.59%) were independent predictors of induced abortion in the second-trimester. Conclusions: This study identified several factors correlated with women having induced abortions in the second-trimester. It may be helpful for the government of Ethiopia to encourage the effort to improve healthcare counselling on reproductive health-related issues, and planning of interventions focusing on behavioral changes and social marketing as well as providing information to young adolescents on their sexuality to minimize pre-marital sex. HIV AIDS Rev 2024; 23, 4: 342-348 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5114/hivar/158880