A total of 444 women treated for incomplete abortion using the manual vacuum aspiration technique, at the Queen Elizabeth Central Teaching Hospital, Blantyre, between 10th January and 9th April, 1994, were interviewed by means of partially structured questionnaire, to determine among other things, their socio-demographic profiles, contraceptive behaviour, as well as associated complications. These formed 56.0% of all abortion cases seen in the department during the study period. All abortion formed 68.0% of all the gynaecological admissions, and an abortion delivery ratio of 1:4. The ages of the patients ranged from 15 to 44 years with a mean of 24.4 years. Adolescents formed 21.2% of the total, while those aged 35 years and above formed 8.4%. Only 15.8% of the total were single. Their parities ranged from 0 to 12 with a mean of 2, while number of living children ranged from 0 to 9 with a mean of 1.7. 16.9% of them had had previous abortions, with the highest number of abortion being 6 and a mean of 1.6. 79.9% of the total group were housewives, and 10.6% students. Of their male partners (i.e. people responsible for the index pregnancy), only 4.2% were students and 25.0% of the school girls were involved with fellow school boys. Majority of the rest (56.3%) were involved with more mature self-sustaining males. The gestational ages ranged from 6 weeks to 20 weeks with a mean of 15 weeks.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)