Author(s)

P. O. Ezeonu¹, K. C. Ekwedigwe¹, M. E. Isikhuemen^2*, M. O. Eliboh³, R. C. Onoh¹, L. O. Lawani¹, L. O. Ajah¹, E. I. Dimejesi¹

¹Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, Nigeria.
²Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria.
³National Obstetric Fistula Centre, Abakaliki, Nigeria.

Introduction: Caesarean section is the delivery of a foetus through an incision made on the uterus. It is useful in situations where vaginal delivery is not feasible. Women in our setting usually see it as a reproductive failure and a sign of weakness. Our aim was to evaluate the perception of caesarean section among pregnant women attending antenatal clinic in a rural missionary hospital. Methodology: This was a cross-sectional study conducted at Mile 4 missionary hospital, Abakaliki among women attending routine antenatal clinic. Information was obtained from respondents with the aid of a questionnaire. Ethical clearance was obtained for the study. Data was analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21. Results: A total of 209 pregnant women participated in this study. Their age ranged from 14 to 43 with a mean age of 27 ± 5 years. One hundred and seventy two women (82.3%) have heard of caesarean section in the past. Eighteen (8.6%) have had caesarean section in the past while 5 were not willing to undergo the procedure again. Sixty (28.7%) are not willing to undergo caesarean section even when it is indicated. Conclusion: Despite awareness of caesarean section, women do not appear to have a positive attitude towards the procedure.

Perception, Caesarean Section, Rural Hospital

Ezeonu, P. , Ekwedigwe, K. , Isikhuemen, M. , Eliboh, M. , Onoh, R. , Lawani, L. , Ajah, L. and Dimejesi, E. (2017) Perception of Caesarean Section among Pregnant Women in a Rural Missionary Hospital. Advances in Reproductive Sciences, 5, 33-38. doi: 10.4236/arsci.2017.53004.