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Nairobi: Difference between revisions
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===Laws & Social Stigmas=== | ===Laws & Social Stigmas=== | ||
In Kenya, abortion is only legal under certain circumstances, which include: to save the life of the woman, to preserve physical health or to preserve mental health. As stated by Article 26 of the Constitution, "Abortion is not permitted unless, in the opinion of a trained health professional, there is a need for emergency treatment, or the life or health of the mother is in danger, or if permitted by any other written law."<ref>[http://eaclj.org/about-us/7-fida-and-kclf-landscaped-comparison.html East African Center for Law & Justice: Abortion in Kenya]</ref> This means that other reasons, including rape or incest, fetal impairment, economic or social reasons or by request, are not permitted. Furthermore, for an abortion to be legal, the woman and her spouse must both consent. Furthermore, two medical opinions (one from a physician and one from a psychiatrist) must approve the abortion before it's performed. The abortion must take place in a hospital.<ref>[http://www.un.org/esa/population/publications/abortion/profiles.htm UN Report: Abortion in Kenya]</ref> | |||
As reported by the International Women's Health Coalition in 2014, "Despite these greater legal rights, women in Kenya are still forced to resort to unsafe methods. As in many countries where abortion is or has been highly restricted, there is a dearth of access to and information about safe abortion in Kenya. Women continue to ingest herbs or other drugs or seek out untrained “quacks” who perform surgical procedures using unsterilized equipment in unsanitary conditions."<ref>[https://iwhc.org/2014/05/working-promise-safe-abortion-services-kenya/ Working for the Promise of Safe Abortion in Kenya]</ref. | |||
In 2013, a Guttmacher Institute study found that "More than three-quarters of women who were treated for post-abortion care had moderate or severe complications, including high fever, sepsis, shock, or organ failure, which can require extensive treatment or hospitalization. Delays in seeking care and reporting to the provider that they interfered with the continuation of their pregnancy were highly associated with the severity of complications. Furthermore, "Kenya has a relatively high case-fatality rate of 266 deaths per 100,000 unsafe procedures."<ref>[https://www.guttmacher.org/fact-sheet/womens-lives-matter-preventing-unsafe-abortion-kenya Women’s Lives Matter: Preventing Unsafe Abortion in Kenya]</ref> Yet abortions continue. According to estimates, about one fifth of pregnancies in Kenya are terminated each year. Unfortunately, only 16% of Kenyan delivery institutions can perform vacuum aspiration, the surgical abortion method recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). Generally, about half of all abortions are performed in private facilities, which are typically three times as expensive as public facilities, thereby hindering abortions for many low-income women.<ref>[http://eaclj.org/about-us/7-fida-and-kclf-landscaped-comparison.html East African Center for Law & Justice: Abortion in Kenya]</ref> | |||
===What to Get & Where to Get It=== | ===What to Get & Where to Get It=== | ||