Male dominance, help seeking B=behaviour among abused women and termination of pregnancy in sub-Saharan African countries

Samson O. Bamiwuye, Obafemi Awolowo University
Olumide M. Owoeye, Bowen University, Iwo
Ifeoma Anthonia Oyiboka, Obafemi Awolowo University

This paper examined whether women who seek help when abused differ in specific ways from women who do not and determined the association between male controlling behavior(MCB) and pregnancy termination(PT). Data for the study was derived from most recent DHS of a weighted sample of ever-married women in CDR (5080), Zambia(8671) and Nigeria(21196). Help seeking from no one ranges from 53.1% in Zambia to 56.7% in Nigeria and 62.9% in DRC while male controlling behavior is the highest in DRC(44.7%). Over 19.0% of women in DRC, 13.6% in Nigeria and 13.4% in Zambia have ever terminated pregnancy. The unadjusted and adjusted ORs showed that women whose husband exhibit at least one control are more likely to have ever terminated pregnancy in all the three countries. An evidence-based understanding of the association between MCB and PT is a prerequisite for effective intervention to increase awareness on the health implications of MCB.