Levels and determinants of voluntary abortion in South Africa

Abstract

Voluntary abortion has been legal in South Africa since 1996. It is estimated that half of South Africa’s pregnancies result in voluntary abortion. Though there are different attitudes and perceptions towards voluntary abortion it is evident that abortion is still a sought after practice among women of reproductive ages (15-49). The purpose of this study was to estimate the trends, differentials and determinants of voluntary abortion among South African women. The study was conducted to better understand the characteristics of South African women who wilfully terminate a pregnancy.