In Ethiopia, abortions are legal for minors and for rape, incest, foetal impairment or maternal disability. Knowledge of abortion legality and availability is low, and little effort has been made to disseminate this information for fear of invoking anti-abortion sentiment; instead, systems rely on health providers as information gatekeepers. This study explores how exposure to and interaction with family planning service delivery environment, specifically (1) availability of contraceptive and facility-based abortion services within 5 km of one’s residence and (2) contact with a health provider in the past 12 months, relate to women’s knowledge of the legality of accessing abortion services and of where to access facility-based abortion services.
April 12, 2023