OBJECTIVE:

To determine the association between the characteristics of prenatal care and the place and type of abortion in Peruvian women.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

Retrospective, observational, analytical and cross-sectional study, with a quantitative approach, carried out from the analysis of a secondary database of the Demographic and Family Health Survey (ENDES) of the year 2021, in which Peruvian women who met the selection criteria participated. The association was assessed using Poisson regression.

RESULTS:

Data from 17,371 Peruvian women were analyzed. A total of 5.55% of deliveries were home births and 33.75% were caesarean sections. The odds of home delivery were increased by lack of prenatal care (p < 0.001; adjusted prevalence ratio (aPR): 5.23), having received information about their rights (p < 0.001; aPR: 1.27), and having received care from nurses (p < 0.001; aPR: 5.06) or community health workers (p < 0.001; aPR: 1.39). Termination of pregnancy by cesarean section was higher when the first prenatal care visit was initiated during the first trimester (p < 0.001; RPA: 1.22), with blood testing (p = 0.004; RPA: 1.19), fetal heart rate monitoring (p = 0.001; RPA: 1. 48), testing for syphilis (p < 0.001; RPa:1.09) and HIV (p < 0.001; RPa:1.45), prescription of iron (p < 0.001; RPa:1.18), information on nutrition (p < 0.001; RPa:1.21), monitoring by physician (p < 0.001; RPa:1.37) or nurse.

CONCLUSION:

Characteristics of care that determined the type and location of pregnancy termination were identified.