THE OREDERING OF MARRIAGE, SEX, BIRTH AND PREGNANCY DISRUPTION: INSIGHTS FROM A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY IN UGANDA

Claire Ashaba, Makerere University
Christabellah Namugenyi, Makerere University
Douglas Candia, Makerere University
John A Mushomi, Makerere University
John Bosco Asiimwe, Makerere University
Odur Benard, Makerere University
Zabibu Afazali, Makerere University
Peter Kisaakye, Makerere University
Shaheen Memon, Makerere University

Pregnancy disruption, including induced abortions, miscarriages, and stillbirths, remains a critical issue in sub-Saharan Africa, where an estimated 6.2 million unsafe abortions occur annually. This study analyzes the relationship between life event sequences—marriage, sexual initiation, and childbirth—and pregnancy disruption among Ugandan women, using data from the 2016 Uganda Demographic and Health Survey. A total of 13,740 women who had even had sex and ever had a birth were analyzed. The results revealed that 22.82% of women had at least ever experienced pregnancy disruption. Significant variations were observed based on life event sequences, with the highest disruption rates associated with non-traditional sequences such as "Sex, Birth, Marriage." Older women, particularly those aged 40-49, exhibited the highest disruption rates. Education level and marital status had little impact on pregnancy disruption, indicating that cultural and societal factors are play a more significant role. Contraceptive use and occupation also influenced disruption rates, with modern contraceptive users showing lower rates of pregnancy disruption. The findings highlight the need for a deeper understanding of the socio-cultural context surrounding reproductive health and emphasize the need for tailored interventions to address pregnancy disruption in regions with restrictive abortion laws and limited access to healthcare services.

Keywords: Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, Multi-level modeling , Census data

See extended abstract.