Alarming rise in backyard abortions

Some doctors at government hospitals in Bulawayo are allegedly conducting illegal backyard abortions especially to pregnant HIV-positive women. Highly placed medical sources told The Zimbabwean this week that the practice was rampant at Mpilo and United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) where doctors charge between US$100 and US$300 to terminate unwantedSources at the two hospitals said the abortion scam also involved some nurses who refer the clients to the doctors.

In most cases the abortionists are referred to the doctors by nurses who also share the spoils with the doctors. Most of the clients are school and college going girls and pregnant HIV positive women, said the source.

According to the Termination of Pregnancy Act, abortion can only be legally performed under three circumstances.

According to section four of the act, legal abortion can be performed when the pregnancy is a result of rape and can also be performed in a situation where the continuation of the pregnancy constitutes serious threat of permanent

impairment of a womans physical health.

It can also be carried out in a situation where there is a serious risk that the baby to be born would suffer from physical or mental defect of such a nature that he or she will permanently be seriously handicapped.

HIV positive pregnant women are not at risk as long as they take the necessary precautions to avoid mother to child HIV transmission when giving birth.

Matabeleland Aids Council manager, Musa Sibindi, said her organisation had received reports of illegal abortions especially on pregnant HIV positive women.

Post published in: Analysis

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