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Lilongwe: Difference between revisions
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In Malawi, abortion is only legally permitted to save the life of a pregnant person.<ref>[https://www.womenonwaves.org/en/page/3180/malawi Women on Waves - Malawi]</ref> <ref>[http://worldabortionlaws.com/map/ World Abortion Laws]</ref> If someone is caught trying to obtain an illegal abortion, they can face seven to fourteen years in prison. If someone helps procure drugs or medication for an illegal abortion, they can face up to three years in prison.<ref name=abortionmalawicnn>[https://www.cnn.com/2018/09/26/health/malawi-abortion-law-as-equals-africa-intl/index.html Women are dying from backstreet abortions. But reforms to Malawi's 157-year-old laws are stuck]</ref> | In Malawi, abortion is only legally permitted to save the life of a pregnant person.<ref>[https://www.womenonwaves.org/en/page/3180/malawi Women on Waves - Malawi]</ref> <ref>[http://worldabortionlaws.com/map/ World Abortion Laws]</ref> If someone is caught trying to obtain an illegal abortion, they can face seven to fourteen years in prison. If someone helps procure drugs or medication for an illegal abortion, they can face up to three years in prison.<ref name=abortionmalawicnn>[https://www.cnn.com/2018/09/26/health/malawi-abortion-law-as-equals-africa-intl/index.html Women are dying from backstreet abortions. But reforms to Malawi's 157-year-old laws are stuck]</ref> | ||
There is a large underground, clandestine abortion scene in Malawi, as in many other countries that have restrictive abortion laws. However, these abortion providers may be unsafe or improperly trained, and women die in Malawi every year due to these clandestine abortion providers. <ref name="abortionmalawicnn" />. | There is a large underground, clandestine abortion scene in Malawi, as in many other countries that have restrictive abortion laws. In Malawi, it is common for women to turn to traditional healers for abortions. However, these abortion providers may be unsafe or improperly trained, and women die in Malawi every year due to these clandestine abortion providers. It is estimated that 6-18% of maternal deaths in Malawi are due to unsafe abortions.<ref name="abortionmalawicnn" />. Furthermore, approximately one third of women who experienced complications from abortions did not seek out the help that they needed.<ref name=guttmacher_malawi>[https://www.guttmacher.org/fact-sheet/abortion-malawi Abortion and Postabortion Care in Malawi]</ref> | ||
The current abortion laws are actually quite old. They were put in place in 1861, under section 243 of the penal code. These abortion laws are largely preserved because of the religious orientation of the country. About 81% of the population is Christian, and many Christians oppose changes to the abortion laws.<ref name="abortionmalawicnn" /> | |||
===What to Get & Where to Get It=== | ===What to Get & Where to Get It=== | ||