◆ Comprising twenty-two case studies from developing countries around the globe, this important volume presents the views of women and providers on induced abortion, often in contexts where the practice is illegal or unsafe and thus dangerous to women's health and survival. The unique feature of the collection is that it focuses on the first-hand experiences of women who, when confronted with an unwanted pregnancy, terminated it by recourse to abortion.
◆ Using primarily qualitative data (while not ignoring the statistical), the contributors explore the motivations, the decision processes and the socio-economic circumstances which cause women to opt for abortion. They also discuss situations where the practice is legal (such as in China, Cuba and Turkey) and discuss various issues including method failure, motivation, poor use of contraception and quality of care.
◆ Including the viewpoints of married and unmarried women, of adolescents and of service providers, the overall objective of this collection is to explore a fundamental question: why do women opt for abortion to regulate fertility, even in contexts where family planning is widely available? To answer this question, the volume has been organised around the following major themes: the relationship between abortion and contraception; the quality of pre-and post-abortion care; adolescent sexuality, sex education and abortion; and attitudes towards abortion. The last part of the book draws lessons from the case studies including both methodological and policy aspects.
◆ Unique in its extraordinary coverage of countries and issues and in terms of its approach, this book will be of interest to policy makers and to those in the fields of health, social work, demography, gender studies, development studies, sociology, anthropology and epidemiology
