HEALTH-GABON: Abortions – Mostly Illegal, But in Demand

By IPS Correspondents Reprint | | Print |

Antoine Lawson

LIBREVILLE, Feb 15 2005 (IPS) - Some women take the decision because they cannot contemplate supporting another child. Others are too young to take care of even one. Whatever their reasons, a growing number of Gabonese girls and women are choosing to have illegal abortions – often with disastrous consequences.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Health, clandestine abortions are thought to have accounted for 28.8 percent of all abortions that took place last year – up from 25 percent in 2003, and 16 percent in 2001. A study conducted in 2003 indicated that 15 percent of women had had at least one abortion.

At present, a pregnancy may only be terminated in Gabon if the mother’s life is put at risk by her carrying the baby to term. Under a law passed in 2001, any person who performs – or attempts to perform – an illegal abortion faces imprisonment of up to five years, and a fine of between about 50 and 1,000 dollars.

These fines may seem trivial to those who carry out clandestine terminations, however: a single procedure is said to cost between 300 and 600 dollars.

Court records in Gabon’s capital, Libreville, show that about 20 people were jailed between 1998 and 2003 for their part in carrying out illegal abortions, while a handful of others received fines.

Officials say several factors lead to the unwanted pregnancies that prompt women to have abortions. These include the fact that girls become sexually active at a young age when they have a limited ability to assert their rights in a sexual relationship, and insufficient knowledge of the dangers of illegal terminations.

The early onset of sexual activity is encouraged by a culture in which educational opportunities for girls are limited, and parents see few prospects for their daughters beyond marriage and the home. Girls are frequently married off from as young as 10 or 12 years, when they begin menstruating.

Those who are able to attend school may find it a less than adequate source of information on sex and pregnancy, however. According to the health ministry, only 8.2 percent of youths talk about sexual matters with teachers. Almost 38 percent do so with their friends.

Twenty-four percent of young people discuss sex with their parents. Those are the fortunate ones. Many others leave home early and, in the case of girls, often turn to prostitution.

“I consider this practice the only option for me to get a bit of cash to eat and take care of my other needs,” says Genevieve Meye, a 15-year old who has run away from her grandparents’ home.

As illegal abortions frequently take place under unsanitary conditions, complications may ensue.

A study conducted in the last three months of 2004 by health officials showed that of 4,073 women who experienced complications during pregnancy, 1,173 of these cases – or 28.7 percent – had undergone illegal abortions.

In some instances, these difficulties lead to death.

“Maternal deaths are due to the clandestine abortions many women have, usually for economic reasons since they do not have enough money to raise a child,” Patricia Makaya, the director of maternal and child health in Gabon, told IPS.

The current rate of maternal mortality in Gabon is said to be about 600 per 100,000 live births (in developed countries, the average is about 20 deaths per 100,000 births).

In general, women who develop complications as a result of abortion are young, uneducated, and come from disadvantaged social backgrounds, said the 2003 study. It also noted that the prevalence of abortion is two times higher in urban than in rural areas.

However, research done in 2001 has also indicated that the relatively unsophisticated techniques used to terminate pregnancies in rural areas lead to more complications amongst women in their early 20s who have the procedure performed in outlying regions.

While hundreds of women do survive illegal abortions, many find themselves left with medical conditions that include perforated uteruses, and even sterility.

In a bid to fight this trend, the United Nations Population Fund has created health centres in certain parts of Libreville to give counseling on reproductive health to women and teenagers.

The ministry in charge of family matters has also implemented programmes that provide assistance to women who are coping with unplanned pregnancies, so that they do not see illegal abortion as the only option open to them. These programmes include setting up kindergartens for teenage mothers, and the creation of a support fund for poor mothers.