Abstract:

Background: Abortion is a sensitive and a contentious issue among high school adolescents’ girls. Abortion can endanger a woman’s reproductive health and lead to serious life threatening complications, even death. In Tanzania, this practice is illegal, unless under medical emergencies but many adolescent girls with unwanted pregnancy still practice it. Thus, the study aimed to, assess knowledge and attitude towards abortion among high school girls’ in Mwanza.

Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study carried out on 384 adolescent girls in April 2022. Data was collected using structured self-administered questionnaires and the information obtained was analyzed by Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS).

Results: Findings from this study showed 16.7% respondents agreed to the statement that states that abortion can be done by use of local herbs. The respondents knew that abortion can lead to varieties of complications. Death (30.6%) was a major complication known by them followed by excessive bleeding (27.1%). 3.9% of the respondents would encourage their friends to abort if they had an unwanted pregnancy and 4.8% would abort once they have an unwanted pregnancy.

Conclusion: There was unsatisfactory knowledge of abortion but had a good knowledge on complications of abortions. More awareness to sexual reproductive health interventions are needed among this group in order to equip them with comprehensive knowledge and skills. Teachers, parents and guardians should join hands so as to reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with abortion