Evaluation of the outcome of pregnancies which cannot get the license of legal abortion

Abstract

The aim of this study is to evaluation of the outcome of pregnancies which cannot get the license of legal abortion. Materials and Methods: This was a descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study, was conducted over a one-year period and and after preparing the questionnaire, all patients who referred to Alzahra Hospital, Taleghani Hospital or Tabriz Forensic Medicine Center for abortion in 2018 but failed to obtain authorization for any reason, were enrolled until the sample size of 215 persons was completed. After selecting the samples, of them were asked about their decision about pregnancy. The information was recorded and after a certain time (2 to 3 weeks later) with them were contacted by telephone and were asked what their pregnancy status. If they were done illegal abortion, the timing and place of referral and the outcome of their action have been identified. After recording the data, the results were analyzed and a picture of the current status of the community was obtained. Results: In this study, the most common type of pregnancy was unwanted with 102 (57.3%) cases and the mean (standard deviation) gestational age was 17.05 (±5/0) weeks. Maternal and fetal indications for abortion were 45 (21.5%) and 164 (78.5%), respectively. The greatest cause of maternal indications for abortion except in cases of heart disease, kidney and connective tissue, was in cases such as drug use and also the most common cause of fetal indication for abortion was fetal anomalies with 88 cases (53/6%). The contribution of physicians and midwives to assisting in illegal abortion was 36 (34.3%) and 69 (65.7%), respectively. Misoprostol with 96 cases (91.4%) was the most commonly used method of illegal abortion. The final outcome in two-thirds of those who committed illegal abortions was complete abortion, and one-third hospitalization and curettage. The median (25th and 75th percentiles) cost of illegal abortion was 1.5 million tomans (0.9-2.2). Among all demographic variables and pregnancy status, the only type of pregnancy was statistically significant between in the two groups attempting to legal and illegal abortion in this study (P-value <0.05) and Other variables including age, educational level, occupation, income level, gestational age, gravidity, parity, number of live children and maternal and fetal indications for abortion were not statistically significant (P-value> 0.05).