Over a Third of Women Seeking Abortion at a Vietnamese Hospital Had Had One Before

More than one in three women seeking an induced abortion at a major tertiary hospital in Ho Chi Minh City had already undergone at least one previous abortion, according to a hospital-based cross-sectional study published in Contraception and Reproductive Medicine. Among 385 women aged 18 to 49 recruited at the Department of Family Planning of Hung Vuong Hospital between March and September 2025, 141 women — 36.6 percent, with a 95 percent confidence interval of 32.0 to 42.0 percent — reported a history of one or more prior induced abortions. The study defined repeat induced abortion as any history of at least one previous induced abortion before the current procedure.

The researchers used convenience sampling and collected data through face-to-face interviews with a structured questionnaire. They summarized participant characteristics with descriptive statistics and then ran a multivariable logistic regression to identify which demographic, reproductive, and contraceptive factors remained independently associated with repeat abortion. Results were reported as adjusted odds ratios with 95 percent confidence intervals.

Age emerged as a strong independent predictor. Compared with women aged 18 to 30, those aged 31 to 40 had significantly higher odds of repeat abortion (adjusted odds ratio 2.40; 95 percent CI 1.30 to 4.34; p = 0.005), and women aged 41 to 49 had the highest odds of any group examined (adjusted odds ratio 4.76; 95 percent CI 2.04 to 11.15; p < 0.001). Because the study was cross-sectional, these associations describe differences between women at a single point in time and cannot establish that aging itself causes repeat abortion.

Reproductive history showed an even larger association. Having at least one living child was linked to markedly higher odds of repeat abortion compared with nulliparity, with an adjusted odds ratio of 20.80 (95 percent CI 2.48 to 174.50; p = 0.005).

Marital status also remained significant after adjustment. Never-married women had significantly higher odds of repeat abortion than women who were currently or previously married (adjusted odds ratio 19.50; 95 percent CI 1.63 to 233.10; p = 0.020). As with parity, the extremely wide interval indicates substantial uncertainty around the magnitude of this association.

Contraceptive behavior showed a different pattern. Women who used traditional contraceptive methods had lower odds of repeat abortion than women who reported no contraceptive use (adjusted odds ratio 0.33; 95 percent CI 0.12 to 0.88; p = 0.026). No other variables retained statistical significance in the adjusted model.

The authors frame repeat induced abortion as a continuing reproductive health concern, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Although abortion is legal in Vietnam up to 22 weeks of gestation, the country continues to report high abortion rates within Southeast Asia, and recent data on repeat abortion have been limited. The study was designed to estimate how common repeat abortion is among women presenting for abortion services and to identify associated demographic, reproductive, and contraceptive factors.

Several limitations shape how the findings should be read. The study was conducted at a single tertiary hospital using convenience sampling, so the 36.6 percent prevalence describes this specific population of women seeking abortion services rather than a national estimate. All data came from participant interviews, and the cross-sectional design captures associations at one moment rather than changes over time. The adjusted odds ratios describe relative odds within this sample and should not be interpreted as individual risk predictions.

Within those constraints, the authors conclude that targeted reproductive health counselling and improved contraceptive strategies are needed to reduce unintended pregnancies and repeat abortion in Vietnam. The finding that increasing age was a strong independent predictor, alongside the large associations with parity and marital status, suggests that counselling at abortion services may need to account for women’s reproductive and family circumstances rather than age alone.

Subject of Research: Prevalence and factors associated with repeat induced abortion among women in Vietnam

Article Title: Prevalence and associated factors of repeat induced abortion among women at a tertiary obstetrics and gynecology hospital in Vietnam: a cross sectional study

Article References: Huynh Nguyen Khanh, T., Quach Lan, L., Le Quang, T., Hoang Thi Diem, T., & Huynh Phuc Khanh, M. (2026). Prevalence and associated factors of repeat induced abortion among women at a tertiary obstetrics and gynecology hospital in Vietnam: a cross sectional study. Contraception and Reproductive Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40834-026-00472-w

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1186/s40834-026-00472-w

Keywords: repeat induced abortion, Vietnam, cross-sectional study, contraception, reproductive health, Hung Vuong Hospital, logistic regression, unintended pregnancy, family planning, Prevalence, associated, factors