By Natasha
In my area of residence, a single mother of two lost her life over the weekend from excessive bleeding. According to the younger sister of the diseased, her big sister had an abortion with the help of a friend.
The sister says that she overheard her big sister talking to her friend about getting an abortion. Am not going to narrate this awful incident but on what can be done to stabilize unsafe abortions.
Unsafe abortion is a major cause of injury and death among women worldwide. It is estimated that nearly 25 million unsafe abortions take place annually. Stats show that the abortion rate for Kenya is estimated to be 55 per 1000 women of reproductive age between 15 to 49. This is a very big number something needs to be done about it.
Kenyan law allows abortion only if a doctor believes the life or health of the mother is in danger. According to a study by Kenya’s health ministry in 2012, every week 23 women die from botched abortions.
Is it time for Kenya to legalized abortion? Should the law of abortion being a crime be changed to abortion not being a crime?
In Kenya, it is not easy for a lady to say they want an abortion. Cultural and religious beliefs have created a stigma so strong that even women who have safe abortions believe they have committed a sin by doing so.
People will condemn you, criminalize you and some even try to banish you out of the community. Many women will do anything to avoid facing all these, by drinking bleach, using knitting needles or clothes hangers to end their pregnancies. The results of these methods of abortions can be horrific like ruptured uteruses, cervical tears, and vaginal cuts which lead to severe infections, excess bleeding, and death. I have lost two of my loved ones from a botched abortion. If only they could have been given a chance for safe abortion my friends could still be alive.
What can we do to stop the deaths of our women and our young girls from all this if not legalizing abortion?