Unsafe Abortion: Prioritise your health, safety, experts tell women

In a bid to curb the incessant rise of maternal mortality in Ogun State, health experts have urged women to prioritise their health and safety by avoiding unsafe abortions.

The plea was made on Thursday, during a community dialogue organized by The Trust and Support Foundation (TSF) with women of reproductive ages on their health right and well-being, held at the Obadara community hall, Olomore, Abeokuta.

Recall that the World Health Organization, WHO, had ascribed the leading cause of maternal mortality worldwide to unsafe abortion, adding that it is responsible for an estimated 13% of maternal deaths.

In Nigeria, 610,000 unsafe abortions are reportedly carried out annually, with more than 80 per cent performed by quacks and inappropriate persons.

Speaking at the dialogue which had over 80 women in attendance, community and religious leaders, healthcare providers and law enforcement agencies, the Executive Director, TSF, Victoria Madukwem, stated that women must be aware of their reproductive health rights and referral pathways where they can access services on family planning and issues relating to abortion in order to reduce maternal mortality within communities.

Madukwem advised women to embrace healthcare facilities and the services they offer, calling for an end to stigma in the community, particularly when an unintended pregnancy occurs.

She said, “We have healthcare providers seated in our mist, so we want to bridge the gap between them and the community. We want them to embrace the healthcare facilities and the provisions there and then reduce the stigma in our communities.

“Most of the time when a woman is pregnant and does not want the pregnancy, she goes to any length to terminate it, and then most times do not know that there’s a provision from the state in cases of rape, incest and when the mother’s life is at risk. They don’t have this knowledge, so we want them to embrace the provision put in place by the government through the SToP guidelines.”

The Executive Secretary, Ogun State Primary Healthcare Board, Dr Elijah Ogunsola, represented by Mrs Remilekun Atolagbe, enlightened the women on the various types of family planning and where they can seek help.

Atolagbe harped on the importance of sensitization and educating people about family planning, its side effects, the consequences of not using it, and how to avoid unintended pregnancies.

She disclosed that the health practitioners have also been trained severally on how to handle situations and protect the privacy of their patients, urging them to always seek help and avoid quacks around their community.

Responding, a community leader identified as Chief Ayoola Ajagunjeun, revealed that among the issues covered at their regular meeting are unsafe abortions and gender-based violence, expressing belief that with the training and enlightenment the gospel would be shared around.

One of the participants, Motunrayo Akolade, a mother of three, appreciated the organisers for the enlightenment while criticising the ongoing stigma from medical professionals, emphasising that this among others are reasons for unsafe abortions.

Research has shown that unsafe abortions can lead to life-threatening complications, such as excessive bleeding, infection, and damage to reproductive organs causing infertility and increased risk of future pregnancy complications.