ABORTION; A highly controversial topic of humanity, it's so controversial that regardless of the angle that you are seeing it at, you will end up being right.
NOTE: What I am about to write is my personal perspective of the topic which might not align with your personal beliefs, do bear with me.
What is Abortion?
Abortion is medically defined as the termination of pregnancy before the age of viability and the age of viability in Nigeria is twenty -eight weeks (28weeks).
One thing to take note of here is that Medically, Abortion is Abortion, whether you did it intentionally or it was against your wish.
Should We Abort or Should We Not?
This is where the whole drame plays out.
Personally, everything about Abortion laws in Nigeria frustrates me. I believe the conversation around abortion needs more sincerity, less hypocrisy, and definitely more responsibility.
For the records, Abortion in Nigeria is illegal and the punishment attached to it isn't a light one....
I doubt you knew that the Nigerian Abortion law has it that;
- The doctor or anyone who perpetrated the abortion is liable to 14years imprisonment
- The lady or woman who consented to the abortion is liable to 7years imprisonment
- While, the individual who provided a means for the abortion either by paying for it or purchasing the pills or sold the pills is liable to 3years imprisonment.
Yet, we keep shouting to the top of our voices "No Abortion" but we freely treat complications from unsafe abortions? What happened to prevention is better than cure?
The illegality of Abortion has caused more harm than good, ladies especially unmarried ladies have lost their lives trying to do abortions at unsafe hands because everyone is scared of the punishment that comes with it.
Yes, I personally don't do abortions too, not because I feel it's not right, but I don't want to lose my license.
Why force someone to bring another soul into this earth?
Giving birth isn't an easy task and it needs all the support one can get right from the time of conception to the regular Antenatal visits to the challenges that comes with labour and delivery and finally the challenges of raising a child till the person becomes an adult.
All these aren't something you can subject someone to do if she or he isn't ready because who ends up suffering it becomes the unborn one
What exactly is with this law?
Maybe I'm not seeing it from the angle they are seeing it but I've always thought about it and it's not making sense at all.
But;
To You, Unmarried Young ladies and Young Men
Why get to the point of abortion?
Is it that you wanted to have a child but later changed your mind?
Or is it that you really are oblivious of the facts that there are CONTRACEPTIVES?
I keep saying that one of the aspects of humanity that science devoted a lot of time, energy and resources remains in matters related to fertility.
There are hundreds of contraceptive options available for females and tens of options available for males.... All it takes is one of you using one, so what is your problem exactly?
Or better still, ABSTINENCE is a thing!!!
Abortion should not be the “backup plan” for your consistent carelessness and irresponsible decisions.
To You, Married couples
Let me ask you one question that one of my great teachers ( a gynecologist) will always ask women who already completed their desired family size and came down with one reproductive problem or another and I quote,
"Madam, what are you doing with your uterus and ovaries?"
Because in reality, the answer is Nothing
I have not seen any woman who gave a logical answer with most of them saying that they want to carry it back to heaven, lol.
The truth is that removing them saves you a lot of drama and diseases starting from Cancers down to benign problems.
Lastly, Is Abortion Risky?
Maybe it's because of the laws against it in our country making people seek alternatives as unsafe, illegal and unskilled methods, but medically speaking, a properly conducted abortion done under safe conditions is one of the safer medical procedures.
In summary, I'm not Pro-Abortion neither am anti-abortion, I'm just Pro- Responsibility. Pregnancy is a big task to deal with against your wish. Contraceptive methods exists but if for any reason, one didn't use it and isn't also willing to give birth, I don't think forcing the person is doing the person, family or country at large any good, rather all I see is just a cycle of trauma, poverty and neglect.
Thanks for reading and have a nice day ahead 👍