Meeting Society Needs: Facts and Consequences You Need To Know About Unsafe Abortion In Nigeria

“Women are not dying    because of diseases we cannot treat. They are dying because societies have yet to make the decision that their lives are worth saving.”

-Mahmoud Fathalla, MD, PhD (Ipas Board Member, Former President of FIGO).

                                   

What is Abortion?

According to World Health Organisation; “An abortion is the discontinuation of a pregnancy before the attainment of viability.” These can either be Spontaneous (nature)/ Induced; Safe/ Unsafe or Complete or incomplete.

What is Unsafe Abortion?

Unsafe abortion is defined as a procedure for terminating unwanted pregnancy either by persons lacking the necessary skills or in an environment lacking the minimal medical standards or both (WHO).

                        

Heavy Toll (Consequences) Of Unsafe Abortion (especially in Nigeria)

·         Globally, induced abortion results in 70,000 deaths. That is about 13% of maternal mortality. Of the 42million induced abortions done annually, 95% occur in developing countries including Nigeria.

·         On the average, every African woman will experience at least one unsafe abortion in her reproductive life time.

·         Maternal mortality due to induced abortion is caused mainly due to complications following unsafe abortion and 100 women die every day in Africa alone from unsafe abortion.

·         Nigeria is responsible for one-third (1/3) of deaths from Unsafe Abortion in Africa – bringing the number of abortions that occur in Nigeria annually to 760,000.

·         Young people contribute more than half of the 760,000 unsafe abortions taking place annually in Nigeria.

·         By the age of 18 years, over 60% of adolescents in Nigeria have had sexual intercourse. First sex is often experimentation, and adolescents usually do not take any protective measure. While 80% of adolescents and young people aged 15-24 do not use any form of contraception, the implication in usually unwanted pregnancy, unsafe abortion, complications and death.

·         One in four women (25%) having abortions in Nigeria experience serious complications which are often-threatening. For support in handling post abortion complication please go to any nearby hospital.

·         More than 140,000 women are hospitalised for abortion complications in Nigeria and only 9% (about one third of those with complications) seek treatment.

·         Up to 10,000 maternal deaths annually in Nigeria due to unsafe abortions.

·         Only 44% of poor women, compared with 66% of non-poor women, procure abortion from a medically trained professional.

·         Not all unwanted pregnancies occur from promiscuity & dangerous behavior. Some cases of unwanted pregnancies occur from rape, incest, child molestation and women trafficking. More than 32,000 pregnancies result from rape every year.

·         Victims of rape, incest & trafficking are forced to have the child + live with the psychological trauma. Those who attempt to abort go to quacks because the abortion law in Nigeria is too restrictive.

·         Rape and other forms of sexual violence is rampant in Nigeria. Incest not often reported but it happens. In both cases, the woman needs SUPPORT to make INFORMED CHOICES.

·         Restriction of Choices in unwanted pregnancies arising from RAPE and INCEST promotes Baby Factories and child trafficking.

·         Giving victims of rape & incest the power of choice is pro-life. Victims of sexual violence, rape & incest should have access to safe legal abortion services.

·         Nigeria’s abortion laws are pre-colonial (1861), out dated, and insensitive to maternal health issues of today. The only legal indication for abortion in Nigeria (Penal & Criminal codes) is to save the woman’s life and to be done by ANY PERSON. Women who do not fall under this indication like rape & incest victims, are left to their own devices. Unsafe abortion is thus a silent & persistent pandemic affecting mostly the economically weak.

·         Nigeria’s current abortion law allows ANY PERSON, trained or untrained to legally perform abortion if it is to save a woman’s life. Should Nigeria continue to use a COLONIAL ABORTION LAW that endangers lives of women 54 years after independence? NO

·         Consequences of unsafe abortion usually include infertility, chronic pelvic pain, loss of uterus (hysterectomy), death, family disharmony, stigmatization and loss of self esteem. There is a need to reform abortion laws in Nigeria to save lives.

·         Decriminalization of abortion in pregnancies arising from RAPE and INCEST would save many lives. The evidence is clear. If laws don’t change, thousands of women & girls will continue to risk their lives & health each year.

How To Help:

                            

Join the conversation on social network and advocate for the reform of our (Nigerian) abortion laws to empower victims of rape & incest to make informed decisions. You too can add your voice to this campaign by following, sharing and acting (positively) on the hash-tags:

 #DoSomething #Choice4Life #PassVAPPBill on social media networks.

In doing this, you can also lend your voice by asking legislators (Senators) to support the passage of the VAPP Bill into law which seeks to eradicate violence in the public and private spaces. When passed into law, the bill will help to abolish all obsolete laws relating to the subject matter such as rape, assault etc and bringing them into consonance with present realities. The bill also makes provision for the rights of victims of Sexual violence in accordance with the provision of the Maputo Protocol “Every woman has the right to enjoy reproductive rights including the right to medical abortion in cases of sexual assault, rape, incest and where the continued pregnancy endangers the life or the physical, mental, psychological or emotional health of the mother.”

Ask your legislators (Senators) to support the passage of this bill into law.

                          

Meanwhile, YOU (Individual, Society and Government) can also #Dosomething by:

·         Informing youth about health promoting sexual and reproductive behavior.

·         Raising awareness about sexual and reproductive matters within your circle.

·         Increasing young people’s ability to communicate, negotiate health promoting sexual and reproductive choices.

·         Increasing the ability to correctly access sexual risk and to adopt appropriate protective actions.

·         Supporting the passage of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Bill (#VAPPBill) 

·         Providing sex education in all secondary schools and make contraceptive services more accessible to young people.

·         Reforming school policies so that school-age girls can return to school to complete their education following the delivery of a baby. #Choice4Life

·         Helping to end the criminalization/stigmatization of Abortion in situations that it may help to save lives.

·         Supporting the review of abortion laws to accommodate victims of sexual violence (rape) & incest.

   

               

 Thanks to Nigeria’s #Choice4Life Advocacy Team for compiling this statistics.