Comparing Five Approaches to Estimating Abortion Incidence in Ghana

Sarah Keogh , Guttmacher Institute
Chelsea B. Polis, Ibis Reproductive Health
Easmon Otupiri, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST)
Suzanne Bell, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Rubina Hussain, Guttmacher Institute
Philicia Castillo, Guttmacher Institute
Doris Chiu, Guttmacher Institute
Roderick Larsen-Reindorf, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology
Emmanuel K. Nakua, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology

Estimating the incidence of abortion is critical for shaping policy to reduce mortality and morbidity associated with this practice. In countries such as Ghana where abortion is highly stigmatized, reliable estimates of abortion incidence are often lacking, and innovative estimation approaches are needed. We test five methodologies for estimating abortion incidence in Ghana: (1) direct questioning of women about their abortions, (2) the Abortion Incidence Complications Method (AICM), (3) a modified AICM, (4) the List Experiment, and (5) the Confidante Method. The first two represent standard practice in the field, while the last three are innovative approaches either newly developed by the authors (modified AICM, Confidante Method) or recently applied to abortion (List Experiment). To our knowledge, this is the first study comparing more than two abortion estimation methodologies. We compare estimates according to several criteria, and propose strategies for assessing their validity in the absence of a gold standard.

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 Presented in Session 10. Fertility, Family Planning, Sexual Behavior & Reproductive Health 2