PLEASE NOTE:

WE DO NOT PROVIDE ABORTIONS – ONLY INFORMATION about ABORTION.

Unplanned pregnancies are prevalent. At least half of all pregnancies are unplanned, and of those, one in 5 women will choose an abortion. It can be a challenging and emotional choice to make. Talking to people you trust who can give accurate information and support will help.

Who may get an abortion in South Africa?

0-12 weeks of pregnancy

In South Africa, any woman of any age can get an abortion by simply requesting no reasons given if she is less than 13 weeks pregnant. A woman under 18 will be advised to consult her parents, but she can decide not to inform or consult them.

Children under 12 need their parent’s consent.

Children over 12 can decide if they are mature enough to understand the benefits, risks, and social implications. If not, they need their parents’ or guardians’ consent.

13-20 weeks of pregnancy:

If she is between 13 and 20 weeks pregnant, she can get an abortion if

• her own physical or mental health is at stake
• if the baby will have severe mental or physical abnormalities
• if she is pregnant because of incest
• if  she is pregnant because of rape
• she is of the personal opinion that her economic or social situation is a sufficient reason for pregnancy termination.

20+ weeks of pregnancy:

If she is more than 20 weeks pregnant, she can get the abortion only if her or the fetus’ life is in danger or the fetus is likely to have severe congenital disabilities.

Note: In general, only medical doctors may perform abortions. Nurses who have received special training may also perform abortions up to the 12th week of pregnancy. A medicine-induced abortion can be done by any medical doctor at his premises up to 7 weeks from the first day of the last menstrual period. The usual method is a dose of an antiprogestin, followed by a prostaglandin analogue dose two days later.

NOTE: Health workers are under no obligation to perform or take an active part in abortion on request if they do not wish to. They must refer you to someone or someplace that will assist you. They are also bound by law to help if it is required to save the patient’s life, even if the emergency is related to an abortion.

 What Is the Abortion Pill?

The abortion pill is a medicine that ends an early pregnancy. You can get it free from any state hospital or clinic if you are not yet nine weeks pregnant. You don’t need hospitalization. Medication abortion with the abortion pill is very effective. It works about 97 out of every 100 times.

Types of abortion:

1. Medical Abortion (@ home abortion)

Medical abortion is brought about by taking medications that will end a pregnancy up to the 8th week of pregnancy. The alternative is surgical abortion, which ends a pregnancy by emptying the uterus (or womb) with special instruments.

2. Manual Vacuum Aspiration

Is a method of removing tissues from the uterus by suction or diagnostic purposes or to remove elements of conception during the 1st trimester of pregnancy. With the patient under local or light general anaesthesia, the cervix is dilated, and the uterus is emptied with suction.

3. Suction & Curettage (in-clinic abortion)

A method of induced abortion before the 14th week of gestation: The embryo is cut into pieces and is then removed with the placenta by applying suction to the dilated cervix.

4. Dilation & Evacuation (in-clinic abortion)

Dilation (or dilatation) and curettage (D&C) refer to the dilation (widening/opening) of the cervix and surgical removal of part of the lining of the uterus and contents of the uterus by scraping and scooping (curettage). It is a therapeutic gynaecological procedure as well as a rarely used method of first-trimester abortion.

What are the complications of an abortion?

Suppose a woman has any of the following symptoms after having either a surgical or medical abortion. In that case, she should immediately contact the facility that provided the abortion for follow-up care:

• severe or persistent pain
• chills or fever with an oral temperature of 100.4° or more
• bleeding that is twice the flow of her usual menstrual period or that soaks through more than one
• sanitary pad per hour for two hours in a row
• malodorous discharge or drainage from her vagina
• continuing symptoms of pregnancy

What is the complication of ‘backstreet’ / unsafe abortion?

Immediate complications from unsafe abortions include:

• severe bleeding
• uterine perforation
• tearing of the cervix
• severe damage to the genitals and abdomen
• internal infection of the abdomen
• blood poisoning