Illegal Abortions (3 June 2008)

Written by TVSA Team from the blog 3rd Degree on 03 Jun 2008
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On 3rd Degree this Tuesday:

Episode: Illegal Abortions
Broadcast date: 3 June, 2008 at 20h00
Channel: e.tv

In South Africa, back street abortions are rife, despite the fact that abortion is legal. Performed by criminals trying to make a quick buck, illegal abortions often have dire consequences for the women who seek them.

Subject to filthy conditions and dangerous situations, women risk their health, their fertility and sometimes their lives.

But why would any woman put herself through such a traumatising experience when safe and legal abortions are available at public hospitals?

3rd Degree goes undercover to expose the fallacy of South Africa’s accessible abortion services. What the show finds makes back street abortion look like a walk in the park.

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21 Comments

Dino
03 Jun 2008 04:56

Women go to backstreet abortionists (such a word?) because they fear being ridiculed. Yes it's legal and free at public hospitals but usually confidentiality is not practised. Usually they are made to queue in designated places where everyone knows what they are there for and they are also admitted ko maternity ward where other expectant mothers know what they are there for. Abortion is a big decision and should be private but it's not always the case.

The only other option is to go the expensive route like bo Marie Stopes, which not everybody can afford so they opt for the easy way out which is usually a big mistake. I live in a city where there are adverts for "safe and pain free" abortions everywhere you look, on trees, on lamp posts, on poles - you name it. And the asking price? Anything from R150

Msoe
03 Jun 2008 07:51

Young preggies mothers go to backstreet abortion "clinics" because of the money. Most of them are school kids and they cannot afford Marie Stopes and other private clinics. So you will ask why not public hospitals. Let me give you the gritty nitty details on how its done. You get to the hospital, they tell you that you need to go to your nearest clinic to confirm that you are pregnant. After that they tell you that you need to be at the hospital by 4 in the morning because they take a certain number a day. You go there thinking that i will get this over with and go home but NO, they do a check up on you and tell you to come back after 4 to 5 weeks. You come back they give you 2 pills, you drink one let say at eight at night than another one after 6 hours. The arbotion is done at home not unless you had luck and it didnt come out. Some even have to face the trauma of having the fetus hanging on their vagina, maybe the plasenta wasnt properly removed and have to go back the next day to the hospital to have it removed. If you arboted at home than you will need to go back to the hospital so that they can clean your womb and listen to this, there are no injections whatever to make you not feel the pain. I wrote a feature article on this two years ago, i dont know if this is still a procedure but its one hell of the whole traumatic thing to do.

realist
03 Jun 2008 08:10

@ Msoe
Hey!! It really is scary. No wonder there are so many illegal abortions

Lex
03 Jun 2008 08:18

Eish ya ne.

Cnglemother
03 Jun 2008 08:23

Msoe what was the name of you article? for interest sake, just post on it so it pop up.Its a very sensitive issue indeed.

Toxic
03 Jun 2008 08:27

Shame man......

Nonny
03 Jun 2008 08:37

Thank u for an informative response Msoe, mmhhh *shaking my head*......this is some scary stuff, I womder if people have any peace of mind after doing a back-street abortion!!!!

Nonny
03 Jun 2008 08:39

Msoe what was the name of you article? for interest sake, just post on it so it pop up.Its a very sensitive issue indeed.
@ Cnglemom - Msoe is a journalist, perhaps she is referring to a newspaper article she wrote, not a TVSA one!!!!

Cnglemother
03 Jun 2008 08:41

@The arbotion is done at home not unless you had luck and it didnt come out. Some even have to face the trauma of having the fetus hanging on their vagina, maybe the plasenta.

Toxy just imagine that, i have never seen iplacenta live not even mine, Geez good lawd! Women go thru hell for sho.

andi01
03 Jun 2008 08:47

@Nonny-this is some scary stuff, I womder if people have any peace of mind after doing a back-street abortion!!!!, I think abortion is scary wether back street or front street

zuzu
03 Jun 2008 08:48

some of these people run away from the insults they get fromthe nurses. You won't believe how rude they can be in the public hospitals.

Nonny
03 Jun 2008 08:49

I think abortion is scary wether back street or front street
LMAO @ back street, front street, but what u are saying is true hey Andi01!!!!

Toxic
03 Jun 2008 08:50

Toxy just imagine that, i have never seen iplacenta live not even mine, Geez good lawd! Women go thru hell for sho.

Just thinking abt it makes me shudder!!

Nonny
03 Jun 2008 08:53

some of these people run away from the insults they get fromthe nurses. You won't believe how rude they can be in the public hospitals.
I know what u are saying Zuzu, most of nurses make young gals feel like sh!t if they go they come to the hospital for contraceptives, which is sadly why some fall pregnant coz they can't afford the chemist/pharmacy or private doctor route of prevention. I mean bona when I ask them why they do that, they say it's to promote abstinence, which is really ridiculous yazi!!!!!

Nonny
03 Jun 2008 08:55

I meant - if they come to the hospital...........

bagoogoo
03 Jun 2008 14:20

I think a more comprehensive and compulsory sex education is required in schools, as especially when children hits puberty. Abortion only treats the “symptom” but not the cause – lack of sufficient knowledge to make an informative decision. The biggest problem is that parents just are not living up to their responsibilities of teaching their children the right ways, the consequences of an unwanted child, and the responsibilities that goes with having and raising a child.

South Africa has given their children the responsibility to act like adults, but South Africa has not taught their children to think like adults, they will inevitably make the wrong choices in life because of it, and it is the unborn that has to pay the price, and it is not just a few, but hundreds of little lives that are lost due to ignorance.

When will the education department make it their job to teach children that life is precious, and that sex is not something to be fooled with?

And since when is it ok to tell a child that when they have made a mistake, that there is no consequences?

I am not pointing fingers at young mothers, I am pointing fingers at the education department and schools which are meant to teach our children not just about the world around them, how to count, but also moral duties, I am pointing fingers at parents for not teaching their children right from wrong. And I say shame on all those who has taken up the responsibility to shape our young people and has failed miserably.

bagoogoo
03 Jun 2008 14:47

...we have truly become like animals…because animals sometimes kill their young…

fire
04 Jun 2008 08:18

people have backstreet abortions because they are tormented by nurses. i know this because im a medical student. you should hear the how they talk to young girls.it is not their job to insult this women.

bagoogoo
04 Jun 2008 08:41

Tell me, why are there so many unwanted pregnancies? I can understand when someone gets raped, but what lame excuse do the others have?

Maybe this is what is p*ing off the older nurses. They grew up with family values where you wait till you are married to have a child. That being pregnant was a wonderful and happy experience that the whole family rejoiced to.

Family values has really gone out the door. Kill a child for the sake of one night's pleasure. Has a life really become that worthless in our day and age.

Has our unborn really been demoted to be seen as nothing but a piece of tissue, a hinderness, its life worthless, not even worthy to be called a human.

It is already a living breathing being at 21 days when the heart starts beating. It takes in oxygen, it takes in food, it is alive and grows, and doctors knows that.

I wish I knew who the bright spark was that took it upon him or herself to declare that an unborn child is not alive, not human, and don’t deserve to live.

I really pitty this world. I always feel like crying when I hear a child was aborted or killed.

People have no respect for life anymore. None what so ever.

Tashi
09 Jun 2008 16:54

Caught the repeat of this on the eNews channel and it was too much too cope with. Was verry freaked at how it's all so rooted in sexism - that it's majority men who're offering the pills and illegal abortion methods and the intimidation they use when someone changes their mind or brings a guy along with them.

It's like they're yielding the ultimate weapon against women and want to kill them with it. They obviously have some serious issues with their mothers.

MS
04 Jul 2009 22:26

I feel strongly about this issue it is not an easy route. The woman again has to suffer. WHY?

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