Abortion means ending a pregnancy before the foetus (unborn child) can live independently outside the mother. If abortion happens spontaneously before 24 weeks of pregnancy, it is called a miscarriage.

Teenagers, young adults or even middle aged women can find themselves in such a situation and faced with the dilemma of opting for an abortion. Some countries have a made it a legal thing while others are still strongly against it.

In Rwanda, abortion is prohibited and punished by the Penal Code and the law relating to the rights and protection of the child against violence.

Only therapeutic abortion is allowed when a pregnancy can put at serious risk the woman’s health and in form conditions provided for by the law.

But times are changing and acts like these are becoming normal in society but this doesn’t imply reduction in the deadly risks involved with the action of abortion.

The decision to have an abortion is personal and varies from individual to individual. If one is considering an abortion they should think about what is right for them before doing so.

This includes not just how they feel in the situation but rather consider how it could affect the future also.

There situations when a woman’s only option is to terminate the pregnancy, such as when a woman is raped, advised by a doctor to do it for medical reasons, among others.

Experts say consulting parents, a doctor, or another trusted adult can help one with such choice.

Abortions are most safely done in the first trimester (before the 12th week of pregnancy). Pregnancy weeks are counted from the first day of the woman’s most recent menstrual period.

The type of abortion performed depends on how far the pregnancy has progressed. There are several procedures used including medical and surgical abortions.

Abortions are rare in the second trimester, which begins in the 13th week of pregnancy. During this type of abortion, a medication called prostaglandin is given in a clinic.

This results in uterine contractions, which can last several hours, and is usually accompanied by some anesthesia.

Dr Rachna Pande, a specialist in internal medicine at Ruhengeri Hospital, says abortion has too many risks to bare with.

There can be a perforation of the uterus or surrounding organs like bowel or bladder, severe bleeding can ensue, which can be fatal. There can be infection and sepsis also. In case uterine contents are evacuated incompletely, retained pieces of fetus and or placenta result in hemorrhage and infection later on and have to be removed surgically, carrying further risks.

"Long term complications would be scarring of uterus causing miscarriage in subsequent pregnancy, damage to lower part of uterus can also cause abortions in subsequent pregnancy,” Dr Pande says.

"Damage to bladder sphincter can result in urinary incontinence. Infection or inflammation of fallopian tube can cause sterility. Many women suffer from depression and feeling of guilt after abortion, necessitating further counseling and anti-depression treatment.”

Abortion is necessary only if the baby has a potential birth defect or mother has some chronic illness where carrying out pregnancy would be hazardous.

In case of forced pregnancy that is after rape or having a baby of a partner with whom one has broken relation, or extreme financial or social problems, in all these situations it is optional.

One has also to get it done in a proper health set up by trained doctors since illegal abortions done by quakes is the main cause of most complications and  deaths.

The problem with abortion is further exacerbated by culture where, for instance, Africans tend to fear confiding in their parents or even immediate relatives and will try to carry out an abortion in hiding.

The usual places one considers are traditional birth attendants and quack medics who are only interested in the money. When things go wrong, a lot go fatal.

Dr John Muganda, the head of gynecology department at King Faisal Hospital,says one can have abdominal pain, bleeding and contractions after abortion.

"If the whole foetus goes out then it’s called complete abortion, sometimes there are situations when some parts of the fetus remain, that is called incomplete abortion, so in that case surgical abortion is needed otherwise a person can continue to bleed and have infections,” he says.

Additional reports from online sources

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