Background: Unsafe abortion, even though it is preventable, remains a significant cause of mortality and morbidity among women in the developing world. It has always been a dilemma for researchers to explore the reasons for unsafe abortion in communities due to the sensitive nature of the subject. As a result, the aim of this study was to explore the reasonsforunsafe abortion in women of reproductive age in western Ethiopia, 2022.
Methods: A qualitative study with a purposive sampling technique was used to explore the reasons for unsafe abortion. The sample size was determined by the data theoretical saturation. Thematic data analysis was used to analyse the data, which was aided by Open Code 4.03 software.

Result: Five thematic categories were drawn from the collected data. The categories were: lack of knowledge of safe abortion policy and services; socioeconomic conditions; safe abortion as a real religious and cultural taboo; stigma of unplanned pregnancy; and a desire to pursue education.

Conclusion: The obtained evidence in this study revealed that lack of knowledge, poor socioeconomic conditions, cultural and religious beliefs, stigma of unplanned pregnancy, and a desire to pursue education were quoted by participants as reasons to unsafe abortion practices. As a result, it is critical to improve family planning education, raise awareness about safe abortion services, and educate young women about the consequences of unsafe abortion to reduce the rate of unwanted pregnancy and unsafe abortion-related complications.

Keywords: Unsafe abortion, Qualitative study, Ethiopia