Socio-demographic characteristics of adolescent post-abortion patients in Blantyre Malawi.

Background : Unsafe sex, unwanted pregnancy and unsafe abortion are some of the emerging adolescent reproductive health challenges in Malawi. Objectives : To study socio-demographic characteristics of adolescent post-abortion patients and that of their male partners, with the aim of better understanding the determinants of adolescent fertility in Malawi, thus facilitating design of appropriate intervention strategies. Design : A descriptive, cross-sectional study. Setting : The Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Blantyre, Malawi. Subjects : A total of 446 out of 465 eligible adolescents managed for incomplete abortion during the study period were enrolled from January 1st to December 31st 1997. Results : Their mean age was 17.5 years (SD±1.3), while that of their male partners was 22.4 years (SD±3.4). The unmarried adolescents comprised 43.9% and students 38.6%. About 30.0% had attained secondary school level of education. The mean age at sexual debut was 15.7 years (SD±1.75), about a year after that at menarche (14.3 years, (SD±1.4)). The mean number of sexual partners they had had was 1.5 (SD±0.86), the highest being 10. The index pregnancy was reportedly unwanted in 45. 1% of the total. The rate was higher among the young, single and students. They were also less likely to have informed their partners about the pregnancy or the abortion (p = 0.0001). About 52.8% of the female students were involved with fellow male students. Of the married adolescents, 4.4% reported having had extramarital affairs. Conclusion : There is need to design appropriate programmes to promote safe sex and reduce unwanted pregnancy and unsafe abortion with its potential sequelae among adolescents in Malawi. (East African Medical Journal: 2002 79(6): 306-310)