Abortions in Mpumalanga
The Act has had no impact on decreasing the rate of illegal abortions in South Africa
MBOMBELA – Since the legalisation of abortion in 1996, some women still complain about not being able to have the procedure done at government facilities. A woman who requested to have an abortion as well as a local nurse spoke to Lowvelder in confidence regarding this.
“My husband and I already have three children and we just couldn’t afford another one. So when I found out I was expecting again, I wanted to terminate the pregnancy,” said the woman. She said that she went to Rob Ferreira Hospital last month where she was told that it did not perform this procedure. “I was told that I would not be able to have it done for free anywhere in Mpumalanga, and that I would have to pay someone.”
A theatre nurse said that she believed she had a right to say no to doing it. “I am a Christian and I believe it is my human right to refuse to kill a child. Nobody can force me to go against my faith. I did not become a nurse to kill, but to save lives.”
The spokesman for health, Mr Dumisane Malamule said the department did offer the termination of pregnancy at some facilities. “The province currently has eight centres that offer such services, and if a patient cannot have the procedure done at a certain facility, she is referred to the relevant place for assistance.”
Yet, there are still serious challenges nationwide regarding the implementation of the Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Act. Most notably, the Act has had no impact on decreasing the rate of illegal abortions in South Africa.
According to a report from the organisation Saving Mothers, published by the National Committee on Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Deaths (NCCEMD), 4 867 cases were recorded from 2008 to 2010. A total of 186 women died of a septic miscarriage in public health-care facilities, 23 per cent of which were the direct result of an unsafe abortion. Although there is limited formal data on the subject, the number of deaths caused by unsafe abortion is likely far higher than recorded, since the NCCEMD only took into account cases in public facilities.
The report also stated, alongside death, illegal abortions resulted in serious illness (morbidity). Immediate complications from unsafe abortions included severe bleeding, uterine perforation, tearing of the cervix, severe damage to the genitals and abdomen, internal infection of the abdomen and blood poisoning.
Medium-term complications ranged from reproductive tract infections and pelvic inflammatory disease to chronic pain, while the long-term effects included increased risk of infertility and ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage or premature delivery in subsequent pregnancies.
Unfortunately, data on the number of women who experienced morbidity due to illegal abortion was also not available.
