Aim This study assessed the knowledge and abuse of abortifacient drugs among students in higher learning institutions in Dodoma urban district.

Method A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 100 participants who were students from higher learning institutions in the Dodoma urban district employing simple random sampling technique as a participant recruitment method. The data was collected by the use of both interviewers and self-administered questionnaires. Data obtained were analyzed using SPSS version 20, and the results are presented in the figure and tables.

Results Among 100 participants, results showed that 28% (n=28) have used abortifacients, and the majority,while among the 28 respondents who said they have used abortifacients, the majority of them, 89% (n=25), said they have used pills, and 11% (n=3) used herbs. Also, results from this study show that more than half (55%) of the study participants reported that misoprostol, mifepristone (19%), and comb pack (17%) are the commonly used abortifacient drugs in the environment, although pregnancy termination is restricted by laws in Tanzania.

Discussion The use of abortifacients is on increase in higher learning institutions in Tanzania. Most reasons that were given by the respondents for increased abuse of abortifacients were little education on reproductive health, sloppy sex, pressure from partner or friends, fear of stigmatization and an easy accessibility of these abortifacient agents.

The authors have declared no competing interest.

This study did not receive any funding

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The details of the IRB/oversight body that provided approval or exemption for the research described are given below:

Approved as ethically compliant by the Internal Ethics Review Committee (IERC) of St John's University of Tanzania on 12th September, 2022.

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All data produced in the present study are available upon reasonable request to the authors