Women’s Prior Knowledge of The Abortion Law and Decision-Making on Choice of Place for Abortion Services in Accra, Ghana

Background: Despite less restrictive abortion laws in Ghana than in other African Countries, women still resort to unsafe abortions.This study examines the cross-sectional relationship between women's prior knowledge of Ghana's abortion law and type of provider accessed in Accra, Ghana.Methods: Women seeking induced abortion (320) and those being treated for post-abortion complications (81) were sampled from four purposive selected health facilities (2 public and 2 private).Bivariate and multivariable binary logistic regression models were estimated to test the study hypothesis that prior knowledge of abortion laws informs women's decision for options.Results: Less than half of respondents knew abortion was legal in Ghana.In both bivariate (OR=4.959;95% CI 3.418, 7.193) and multivariable (OR=6.45,95% CI 4.25, 10.08) models, women who knew the legalities and those educated were more likely to seek safe abortions.The prospect of seeking safe abortions was lower among women reporting boyfriends/fiancés and teachers/bosses as those responsible for the index pregnancy.Conclusions: Regardless of a woman's background, knowledge on abortion laws influences decisions on choice of place for services.Education on the law is therefore required for informed decisions in Ghana.