Abortion is a subject that attracts very
strong opinions and there is a widespread divergence of views on the subject
worldwide, mainly related to cultural and religious backgrounds.
In Nigeria,
abortion is currently illegal; it is however performed on a daily basis.
The dangers and
complications associated with medical termination of pregnancy increases
dramatically when it is done in ‘unsafe’ settings.
What is unsafe
abortion? This has been described as an abortion that is carried out by a
person not medically qualified or is medically qualified by does not have the
necessary requirements for a safe abortion.
The complications
of unsafe abortion are so many, ranging from excessive pain to death. They
however include the following:
·
Excessive bleeding during or after the
procedure, which could lead to death.
·
Infection of the genital tract, which
may spread to the blood (septicaemia). This is due to the use of unsterilized
objects during a procedure.
·
Absence of menstruation could occur
after the procedure. This could be due to the use of sharp objects (called
curettes) to ‘scrap’ off the lining of the womb such that it does not grow back
again (it is this lining that comes out as menstrual flow; if it does not
regenerate, menstruation cannot occur). If you bleed excessively during the
procedure, this could lead to the death of a gland in the brain that produces
hormones that maintain your menstrual cycle, menstruation therefore cesses.
·
Absence of menstruation means NO
PREGNANCY. The last time I checked, this describes a condition called
infertility/sub fertility.
·
The womb can be punctured by the
object used during the procedure.
·
The vagina can also be cut by the
untrained abortionist.
·
The psychological trauma and guilt
most people face after an abortion is not worth the act.
In countries like
the United Kingdom (UK), abortion is offered legally due to the existence of
the UK Abortion Act passed in 1967. Under the terms of this act, a woman may
have an abortion if two medical practitioners acting in good faith are willing
to certify to one out of a list of criteria, which includes to save the life of
the woman, pregnancy has not exceeded 24 weeks and if there is a significant
risk that if the child were born, it would suffer serious physical or mental
handicap. This has led to the disappearance of virtually all cases of unsafe
abortion.
powerful guide to unsafe abortion prevention.
The dilemma still
remains; should abortion be legalized in Nigeria to save the lives lost every
day through complications of unsafe abortion? Should it still remain illegal due to
cultural, religious and ethical reasons?
Should every
sexually active member of the society be prevented from having sexual
intercourse until they can take care of a pregnancy, should it occur?
(Impossible)
The only
alternative that will satisfy all these questions to an extent is the use of
effective methods of contraception that will be delivered to every female who
desires it, regardless of their age. This will go a long way in decreasing
cases of unsafe abortion in the country. However, before this is actualized,
the proper use of condoms (which is available to everybody today) should be
adhered to. This includes:
·
Never leaving a limp penis in the
vagina after ejaculation, as this could cause the condom to slip and discharge
its contents into the vagina.
·
Never use more than one condom at
once; friction could tear both.
In case you decide
to have an abortion in Nigeria (it is your choice after all), avoid the
following:
·
Never patronize quacks (Abortion is not
legal, but the truth is some doctors still do it).
·
Never attempt to terminate a pregnancy
that is above 3-4 months, as the complications are very common at this stage
(even with a qualified practitioner). You could as well keep the pregnancy if
you waited this long. Generally, regardless of the method, an abortion should
not be attempted after 24 weeks (6 months!).
A common method
used today is to initiate it at home and then run to the hospital and claim to
be bleeding and the contents of the uterus will be evacuated by the doctors
(heard of this somewhere).
After an abortion,
ovulation may occur within a few weeks. It is therefore vital that immediately
after the procedure, contraception is instituted. This is to prevent a reoccurrence.
In conclusion,
instead of an abortion, go for contraception if you cannot abstain.
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