COMPLICATIONS arising from post unsafe abortion infections could have long term implications on the fertility of women due to the unsterile nature of the environments and objects used during unsafe abortions procedures, a local Obstetrician and Gynecologist has warned. .
By Michael Gwarisa
Speaking to HealthTimes, Dr Grant Murewanhema an Obstetrician and Gynecologist said unsafe abortions were happening and unfortunately they were they were among the leading cause of maternal mortality in Zimbabwe.
When you look at it just in the immediate short term after this act has been committed and especially knowing that when people commit these unsafe termination of pregnancies, they actually use different methods some of which are quite very harmful. Sometimes people use penetrative objects, some use traditional herbs and medicines and so on.
“In the immediate period, there is risk of perforation of the uterus, perforation of the bladder, perforation of the internal organs such as the intestines and so on. In the short term, all those things can actually happen. Perforations, hemorrhage and sepsis and they are all quite life threatening. In the long run, you have complications that can arise from these abortions which include long standing pelvic infections, pelvic adhesions which can also have an impact on a woman’s and a girl’s fertility in the future,” said Dr Murewanhema.
He called on government to create a conduce policy environment which allows women and girls with unintended pregnancies and who need the services to aces safe abortion services in proper medical and health facilities.
“One of the things that we are really advocating for as Gynecologists is to make sure that women can actually access safer termination of pregnancy and also hey can access good quality post abortion care. That’s because these unsafe abortions actually do have serious consequences be it for your girls or for mothers and consequences can be shirt term or long term. We have seen this and there a risk of hemorrhage which can take away a woman’s life.
[pullquote]”Post abortal hemorrhage is quite an important contributor to maternal mortality. They can also develop infection, what we call Post-abortal sepsis. It’s very common when people do commit unsafe abortions because of the unsterile environment or the unsafe environment in which these procedures are done.”[/pullquote]
Abortion is still illegal in Zimbabwe and girls and women especially from resource limited families and environments end up engaging backyard abortion services to terminate pregnancies. The Zimbabwe Termination of Pregnancy Act (TOP) of 1978 only allows abortion under three circumstances. Abortion is permissible if the pregnancy poses a threat to the life of the unborn child or the mother or if the pregnancy is as a result of incest or rape.
According to the law, termination of pregnancy cannot happen anywhere else besides a designated institution in this case a public hospital and at least two by medical practitioners must prove beyond reasonable doubt that the pregnancy indeed warrants a termination.
“As Champions of Safe Abortion in Gynecology in Zimbabwe (CSAG), we actually advocate for safe termination of pregnancy and we advocate for changing of legislation so that women can access safe termination of pregnancy facilities or services in proper medical facilities to reduce the risk of these complications that we are talking about.
“It is very important that we have the right legislative framework because the current legislative framework is quite prohibitive and because of that, those who need to terminate their pregnancies in the case of unintended pregnancies can end up doing so illegally and unsafely and then they actually fear presenting to the health institution and they can actually come later in advanced state of illness and it will be difficult to take care of them.”