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From July 1973 to December 1980, 6942 patients were admitted to the Gynaecology unit of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, Nigeria. Fifty-nine patients presented with gynatresia (vaginal atresia and stenosis), an incidence of 8.5 1000. The most common causes of this condition were caustic vaginitis, secondary to local herb pessary insertion, and circumcision. The resulting vaginal adhesions were effectively treated surgically by simple adhesiolysis . There was a low incidence of congenital gynatresia . As the large proportion of cases of acquired gynatresia were preventable, improvement in health education should further reduce incidence of this condition in our community.

A study was made of 8982 women who were admitted for delivery over a four-year period to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, Nigeria. Of the 5682 women who had had more than one pregnancy, 14.5% admitted a history of one or more abortions (spontaneous or induced). Of the whole series, 8.8% admitted having had one or more induced abortions. Patients with prior abortions were compared with selected controls, and maternal characteristics were standardized between the two groups. Undesirable outcomes of subsequent pregnancy, such as low birth weight, premature delivery, stillbirth, neonatal death, miscarriage or congenital malformation, did not seem to increase in patients with histories of abortions.

In a 13-year review of maternal deaths of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, abortion was one of the 3 major causes of death, accounting for 37 (22.4) out of 165 deaths. Induced abortion was responsible for 34 (91.9%) of these deaths. The usual victim is the teenage and inexperienced school girl who has no ready access to contraceptive practice. Death was mainly due to sepsis, (including tetanus) hemorrhage, and trauma to vital organs, complication directly attributable to faulty techniques by unskilled abortion providers, by- product of the present restrictive abortion laws. Total overhaul of maternal child health services and family health education system, as well as integration of planned parenthood at primary health care level into the health care delivery system, are suggested. Contraceptive practice should be made available to all categories of women at risk and the cost subsidized by governmental and institutional bodies. Where unwanted pregnancies occur, the authors advocate termination in appropriate health institutions where lethal and sometimes fatal complications are unlikely to occur. In effect, from the results of this study and review of studies on abortion deaths in Nigeria and other developing countries, it is obvious that a revision of abortion laws as they operate, notable, in the African continent, is overdue.

A study of 100 consecutive cases of ectopic pregnancy managed over a 21-month period in the University Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology is reported. The results show that this is a common gynaecological emergency in the community. Although pelvic inflammatory disease appears to be an important aetiological factor, a significant proportion showed no evidence of previous pelvic sepsis. The usual surgical treatment of cases in our unit is, where possible, total salpingectomy rather than salpingo-oophorectomy.

A study of the attitudes of school girls in Benin City, Nigeria, toward abortion and contraception was carried out in three of the city's postprimary schools, using a uniform multiple-choice questionnaire. The findings show that although a significant proportion of the school girls had resorted to abortion to solve their problem of unwanted pregnancy, liberalized abortion law was only favored by a minority (approx. 30%). Also, although this indicated a high rate of sexual activity, their knowledge and practice of contraception and contraceptive methods is deficient and prejudiced. The latter findings may be responsible for the high rate of abortion among school girls in Nigeria.

Induced adolescent abortion is a major cause of maternal and gynecologic death in the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, where 244 out of 349 such cases seen from January 1, 1974 to December 31, 1979 were reviewed. Ignorance and lack of contraceptive facilities were contributory factors. To deal with this problem that has been pervasive throughout Nigeria for the past decade, the authors advocate sex education, systematic dissemination of information for planned and conscientious parenthood as well as free availability of alternative methods of contraception. Interruption of early pregnancy should be an essential component of a national family planning program.

The bone marrow status of 31 consecutive pregnant women who had been on supplemental oral iron and folic acid since early pregnancy at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital was assessed later in pregnancy to test the efficacy of oral iron and folic acid in preventing iron deficiency and/or megaloblastic anaemia in our community. Only those pregnant patients with haemoglobin genotype AA or AS took part in the study. Nobody was excluded except those with CC or SC. 96.77% (30 out of 31 patients) had iron deficiency with no stainable iron in the bone marrow. 35.4% (11 out of 31 patients) had megaloblastic changes in the bone marrow. 32.2% (10 out of 31 patients) had a combined iron deficiency and megaloblastic anaemia while only one out of 31 patients (3.23%) had megaloblastic anaemia without concurrent iron deficiency. 60.4% (20 out of 31 patients) had iron deficiency alone without concomitant megaloblastic changes in marrow. The bone marrow in all the patients were normal in other respects except with regards to iron-deficiency and/or megaloblastic status. The significance of this high incidence of iron-deficiency and/or megaloblastic anaemia in patients already on routine pre-natal drugs is discussed.

A study was made of 127 cases of schoolgirls with pregnancy-related problems who were admitted into three of the major hospitals in Benin City, Nigeria, over a 10-month period. The findings suggest that schoolgirl pregnancy in Benin City is found chiefly among teenage girls during the early years of secondary school. Lack of experience in family life and knowledge about contraceptive methods, coupled with poor parental control, are the major factors that put the young adolescent at risk of unwanted pregnancy. School drop-out and complications of illegally induced abortion are the most frequent and worst consequences of schoolgirl pregnancies. The provision of formal education on family life and effective and easily accessible family planning methods for the adolescent population are suggested as a means to reduce the rate of schoolgirl pregnancy.

In a 13-year review of maternal deaths at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, abortion was one of the three major causes of death, accounting for 37 (22.4%) out of the 165 deaths. Induced abortion was responsible for 34 (91.9%) of these deaths. The usual victim is the teenage, inexperienced school girl who has no ready access to contraceptive practice. Death was mainly due to sepsis (including tetanus), hemorrhage and trauma to vital organs, complications directly attributable to faulty techniques by unskilled abortion providers, a by-product of the present restrictive abortion laws. Total overhaul of maternal child health services and the family health education system, as well as integration of planned parenthood at primary health care level into the health care delivery system, are suggested. Contraceptive practice should be made available to all categories of women at risk, and the cost subsidised by governmental and institutional bodies. Where unwanted pregnancies occur, the authors advocate termination in appropriate health institutions where lethal and sometimes fatal complications are unlikely to occur. In effect, from the results of this study and a review of studies on abortion deaths in Nigeria and other developing countries, it is obvious that a revision of abortion laws as they operate, notably in the African continent, is overdue.