Factores asociados a la interrupción voluntaria del embarazo en Colombia: análisis a profundidad a partir de la Encuesta Nacional de Demografía y Salud

Abstract

Introduction: The voluntary termination of pregnancy is a right that only until the 20th century was recognized by the legal frameworks of some countries in the world. The international agendas have established the need to work for women`s sexual and reproductive health, as well as for gender equity. Sociodemographic, gynecological, educational, economic, violence and autonomy factors have been associated with this outcome. In Colombia, judgment C-355 of 2006 legalized this procedure in three circumstances, however, there are still important differences regarding the access, so it is necessary to establish an epidemiological profile and identify inequities between the population. Objective: To determine the factors associated with the voluntary termination of pregnancy in women between 13 and 49 years of age in Colombia, based on the National Demography and Health Survey from 2015. Methods: It is an observational, cross-sectional study. The primary outcome was the voluntary termination of pregnancy. Multiple variables were compared among women according to the outcome. Association measures (crude OR) were established and subsequently a binary logistic regression was applied to obtain the most associated variables with the outcome (adjusted OR). Results: The total number of pregnancies (OR 4. 09; 95% CI 3. 37-4. 98), marital status (OR 2. 77; 95% CI 1. 91-4. 02), educational status (OR 1, 48; 95% CI 1. 02-2. 14), age of first sexual intercourse (OR 0. 86; 95% CI 0. 80-0. 92) and number of sexual partners (OR 1. 10; 95% CI 1. 05-1. 15); appear as the factors that are most associated with voluntary termination of pregnancy. Conclusions: Sexual behaviors show an important association with the outcome; therefore, it is essential to promote responsible sexual behaviors and continue working on the reduction of unintended pregnancy. It is important to carry out interventions to reduce inequalities and ensure that all women can decide about their rights autonomously.