Unwanted pregnancy and abortion in humanitarian settings : Factors that influence experiences of unwanted pregnancy and abortion in humanitarian contexts 

Abstract: Background: Despite global progress of improving maternal health globally the impact of unsafe abortion remains a challenging issue in many parts of the world. As a result of restricted access to health services and exposure to risks, women and girls in humanitarian settings have an increased risk of unwanted pregnancy often leading to abortion. Access to abortion in humanitarian settings is restricted which forces women to turn to unsafe abortion practices. Little is known about the experiences and influencing factors of unwanted pregnancy and abortion in humanitarian settings. Aim: Therefore, this thesis aimed to explore the factors that influence experiences of unwanted pregnancies and abortion in humanitarian settings. Method: This was done by conducting a systematic search of peer-reviewed literature based on experiences of unwanted pregnancy and abortion in humanitarian settings with qualitative methodology available in Pubmed and Scopus. Selected articles were analysed with a narrative review in order to develop themes. Results: Three main themes and six subthemes was developed from within the data. The first theme explained that experiences of unwanted pregnancy is influenced by causes and circumstances surrounding the pregnancy such as socio-economic situation. The second theme describes that women experiences several barriers such as stigma and illegality when seeking to access safe abortion services, which influences them into seeking unsafe abortion methods. The third and final theme describes that the experiences of unsafe abortion in humanitarian settings often consists of painful and dangerous experiences. Discussion: The findings of the thesis suggest that some of the experiences of unwanted pregnancy and abortion in humanitarian settings might be similar to the experiences of women in normal settings. Conclusion: The experiences of unwanted pregnancy and abortion amongst women in humanitarian settings are influenced by causes and circumstances of the pregnancy, the actual or perceived barriers to safe abortion and the methods and practices of unsafe abortion. These influencing factors should to be taken into consideration when designing targeted interventions towards reducing the impact of unwanted pregnancy and abortion in humanitarian settings.