Decision-making for induced abortion can be influenced by various circumstances including those surrounding onset of a
pregnancy. There are various dimensions to induced abortion decision-making among women who had an elective induced
abortion in a cosmopolitan urban setting in Ghana, which this paper examined. A cross-sectional mixed method study was
conducted between January and December 2011 with 401 women who had undergone an abortion procedure in the preceding 12
months. Whereas the quantitative data were analysed with descriptive statistics, thematic analysis was applied to the qualitative
data. The study found that women of various profiles have different reasons for undergoing abortion. Women considered the
circumstances surrounding onset of pregnancy, person responsible for the pregnancy, gestational age at decision to terminate, and
social, economic and medical considerations. Pressures from partners, career progression and reproductive intentions of women
reinforced these reasons. First time pregnancies were mostly aborted regardless of gestational ages and partners’ consent. Policies
and programmes targeted at safe abortion care are needed to guide informed decisions on induced abortions.