Global Health > Open events > Archive 2010 > Doctoral Thesis Defenc...

Doctoral Thesis Defence: Induced abortion and contraceptive use

- Perspectives from Tanzania and Denmark 

Doctoral Thesis Defence of Vibeke Rasch, MD, PhD

Time: 12 February 2010, from 14:00

Venue: Det Anatomiske Teater, Medicinsk Museion, Fredericiagade 18, 1310 Copenhagen K

Young women lose when society bans abortion in places where a high number of them are sexually active. This is the case in Tanzania where most women and men know about modern methods of contraception yet the majority of them still don't protect themselves and their partners. Contraceptive use is not well accepted; however, persistent counseling at the hospitals makes it possible to affect this opinion.

This thesis describes the problem of abortion in Tanzania, being a country where induced abortion is illegal and where consequently many unsafe abortions are performed. It focuses on determinants of unsafe abortion, describes contraceptive use and sexual behaviour among adolescent girls having experienced unsafe abortion and evaluates an intervention aiming at improving post abortion contraceptive service. Finally the thesis draws parallels to Denmark, being a country where contraception is easy to obtain and where induced abortion is safe and legal available.

Opponents:

• Assoc. Prof. Lone Schmidt, PhD, Dr Med
  Fakulty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen
  
  
• Professor Ulf Høgberg, MD, PhD
  Epidemiology & Public Health Sciences, Public Health & Clinical Medicine, Umeå University
  
  
• Medical Officer - Maternal Health Matthews Mathai, MD, PhD
  Family and Community Health - Making Pregnancy Safer, World Health Organization

The session will be led by Professor Lene Koch, Health Services Research, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen.

Download easy-to-print pdf-flyer