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ABSTRACT
Unintended pregnancy is a significant public health issue in South Africa. Despite free services including contraception, women face structural and institutional barriers to accessing care. This qualitative study comprised interviews with 16 women aged 18 to 40 years and receiving post-abortion services at a public clinic in Cape Town. Data analysis revealed three main themes: personal journeys in seeking abortion, contraceptive experiences, and contrasting feelings of empowerment (in reproductive decision making) and disempowerment (in the health care system). Women perceived themselves as solely responsible for their reproductive health, but found it difficult to obtain adequate information or services.
Additional information
Funding
This study was funded by Competitive Seed Funding from the Office of the Vice President for Research, Brown University and the Nora Kahn Piore Award, Brown University School of Public Health. Support also provided by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute for Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) (grant number. R24 HD077976-01).