Iran Journal of Nursing

  Background: Illegal abortion is one of the most important leading factors for maternal mortality and morbidity worldwide. Abortion may cause infertility, hemorrhage, sepsis, intra-abdominal injuries or genitourinary infections.

  Objective: To determine the prevalence of unwanted pregnancy. Also to find out the association between pregnancy being unwanted and thinking about abortion or acting upon it. And the last to find out the reasons for nor terminating the pregnancy.

  Design: This study was designed to find out the prevalence of unwanted pregnancy, to deseribbe thinking about abortion, acting upon it, and the reasons for not terminating the pregnancy. Face to face interview was performed to collect data.

  Samples: 3028 pregnant women attending prenatal care units of 10 different university hospitals in Tehran were chosen as the sample of the study.

  Results: The prevalence of unwanted pregnancy was estimated to be 33.9% Nineteen and a half percent of the subjects have thought of abortion but only 7.2% actually acted upon it. Religious beliefs were stated as the main reason for not taking any action to terminate the pregnancy by most women. 55% of those who thought of abortion stated that their pregnancy have been unwanted, but only 1% of those who haven't thought of abortion considered their pregnancy as unwanted.

  Conclusion: Since religious beliefs found to be an effective factor in decision making over illegal aborting, it is suggested that moral and religious issues to be publicized. Educating women to use contraceptive devices, providing accessibility to qualitative family planning services may decrease the rate of unwanted pregnancies.