Headlines in the Namibian, today blazed a
story on syndicates targeting pharmacies with false prescriptions of abortion
pills. If there is one thing that makes my blood boil in this country, it is
the prevailing attitudes and discussion around abortion. We keep on citing
supposed moral “arguments” about keeping abortion illegal in our country, while
at the same time, there is overwhelming reasons for making it legal.
Firstly, there is no contraceptive that is
absolutely safe. Therefore, there will always be unwanted pregnancies. Looking
at the number of young girls walking the streets with pregnant bellies, I
always also wonder about the circumstances under which these young girls got
pregnant in the first place. Did she really consent to having sex, or was she
somehow coerced or cajoled into having sex. How much say do women really have
when it comes to sex, condoms, contraception, etc? Realistically, can a young
girl of, let’s say, 13/14 years, go to a
clinic and ask for advice and assistance with contraceptive options? Somehow, I
think not.
Looking at statistics dating back to 2003,
I am informed that nearly 20 million abortions were estimated to be unsafe and
that about 13% of pregnancy-related deaths have been attributed to
complications of unsafe abortions. Almost all deaths and complications from
unsafe abortions are preventable. The same source informs me that in places
where abortion can be done legally and safely, the risk of death following
complications of unsafe abortions have been reduced by several hundred
times. Where is the morality in letting
women die when there are relatively easy and absolutely safe ways to terminate
an unwanted pregnancy?
I cannot understand the arguments
“protecting the fetus” when women are dying every day from the complications of
back-street abortions. As long as abortion remains illegal in this country, we
must expect that illegal and dangerous practices will flourish. /Laura
No comments:
Post a Comment