Globally, an estimated 22million abortions are performed unsafely resulting in the death of about 47,000 women and disability for additional 5million women, although the actual incidence of abortion cannot be ascertained in Nigeria, this write is opined that about 35% of the global unsafe abortions are performed in Nigeria (7 . 7 million abortions, ±16,450 deaths).
Although about 96% of deaths from unsafe abortions are totally preventable provided that the procedure was carried out by a skilled provider with appropriate equipments but the number rises yearly as more people tend to engage in unsafe abortions yearly leading to more deaths.
Despite the marital status of women, cultural/religious beliefs and legal restrictions on abortion in Nigeria, the likelihood of a woman having an unintended pregnancy is about the same. The legal restrictions only make women induce abortions themselves or seek help from unskilled providers/quacks leading to gross complication. The legal status of abortion in Nigeria does not reduce or increase a woman's need for an abortion, it only affects her access to safe abortion. Based on my personal statistics, about 50% of Nigerian women at a time had the need for an abortion. One of the major cause contributing factor to poverty, terrorism, cultism, suicide and rituals in Nigeria is unintended/unwanted pregnancy. For example, an undergraduate guy impregnating an unemployed lady, the child will be born into a poor family and the poverty cycle continues.
Conclusively, I an opined that abortion up to 18weeks gestation should be available to women to the full extent of the law. Women should stop patronizing unskilled lled providers/quacks and also stop inducing abortion themselves. Unwanted pregnancies though preventable should no longer lead to death of our women. Sexually active women should try as much as possible to make use of contraceptives as prevention is safer, cheaper and better than cure.
#ReduceMaternalDeath
#ContraceptionIsCheaper