Among the 3.2 million unsafe abortions in young women 15–19 years old, almost 50% are in the Africa region. 22% of all unsafe abortions in Africa compared to 11% of those in Asia (excluding Eastern Asia) and 16% of those in Latin America and the Caribbean are among adolescents aged 15–19 years.
This article elaborates on some important concepts in the matter of abortion, the issue of revelant legislation, and ends with pertinent recommendations. Adopting a bioethical perspective, the paper addresses the relevant issues and perspectives on abortion and argues for clarity of concepts and understanding of the context in which a woman is pregnant and considers abortion.
Looks at Barbados's experience of abortion law reform undertaken in the 1980s. The movement was led by then Cabinet Minister and lawyer Billie Miller. Documents the nuances, important moments, key strategies and major players in the reform movement, and highlights the critical role that Miller played in getting the Medical Termination Act passed in 1983. Background information on the situation of Barbadian women and the nature of parliamentary governance at that time is also addressed in order to give context to the politics surrounding the issue.
Examines recent aspects of the debate on the legalisation of abortion in Jamaica. Highlights the recommendations of the Abortion Policy Review Group which reviewed health implications in Jamaica and assessed existing laws in the wider Caribbean on abortion. Using feminist analysis the paper also explores the challenges faced by those arguing for legislative reform on abortion services in Jamaica within the larger framework of reproductive health and rights.
Seventeen years after Guyana introduced a positive, liberal abortion law, the government, professional bodies and civil society together have failed to give any leadership in implementing that law. How can one explain that after an outstanding campaign of extensive ministerial and parliamentary consultation, as well as widespread engagement from religious organisations and the media, so little has been done by way of implementing the law? This paper seeks to trace some aspects of the campaign for law reform and to learn from the difficulties of providing services over the last seventeen years.
Although 97.9% of women expressed a desire for family-planning counseling before discharge from the postpartum ward, only 6.0% of women received such counseling. Most women wanted to space or limit their pregnancies; 79.8% of women, including those with only 1 child, wanted to choose a contraceptive method before discharge. Providers expressed concern for the volume of induced abortions and maternal deaths within the hospital, which many felt could be averted by improving postpartum family planning.
African American Research Center, Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Notes:
IPPF/WHR works to improve the health of women throughout the Americas, ensure access to family planning, and address the range of sexual and reproductive health issues that affect the integral health of women, men, and adolescents in Latin America and Caribbean region.
