Socio-structural barriers to safe abortion and reproductive health among women in rural Uttar Pradesh, India

In the Global South, a disproportionate number of young married women who experience unwanted and mistimed pregnancies undergo unsafe abortion practices, leading to a heightened burden of maternal and infant deaths in developing countries. The present qualitative study attempts to examine the practice of induced abortion at the village as well as assess the socio-structural barriers leading to poor sexual and reproductive health in rural Uttar Pradesh, India. The study underlines the lived experience and process of decision-making related to induced abortion, and the intertwined family, social, and healthcare-associated challenges faced by young married women. Evidence from the study suggests that the inability to use safe contraception methods, unsupportive behaviour of the spouse towards childcare, financial hardship, lack of accessibility and affordability of contraception methods, lesser decision-making power, and social norms and customs appeared to pose critical barriers to safe abortion practices among young married women. Findings from the study highlight an abysmal dearth of access to safe, affordable, and quality abortion care services in the study area. This calls for policymakers to increase investments in high-quality, comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services to ensure safe pregnancy and child health experiences in the Indian context.