Many abortions for Kenya dey happun for unsafe backstreet clinics
Law over abortions for Kenya wey no clear dey push thousands of women to turn to backstreet clinics.
Edith lie down for bed wey dem cover wit old newspaper for backstreet clinic for Nairobi.
Dem hang her legs high wit stirrups while one man wey wear white medical coat explain say e dey about to put some medicine inside her uterus. One red bucket of bleach wey contain medical instruments siddon for floor.
Di mama-of-three, wey we don change her name to protect her identity, dey four months pregnant and dey about to do abortion.
“I need to terminate am sake of I need to go back to work, and I get anoda small baby,” she tok.
Abortion na complicated issue for Kenya.
Di penal code, wey get im origins for di colonial era, outlaw abortion, criminalise di woman, di pesin wey carry out di abortion and di pesin wey supply di material wey dey needed.
However, di 2010 constitution, combined with a wider body of law, dey allow abortion wen “di life or health of di mama dey for danger” or wen di pregnancy na from rape or incest.
Edith bin discover say she dey HIV-positive few years ago. Her partner, afta e no gree to go test imself, later leave her.
One lawyer bin tok say to get pikin while you dey live wit HIV mean “her physical wellbeing fit dey for danger”. Dis, as well as oda factors, mean say Edith fit qualify for legal abortion. But she feel say di backstreet clinic na her only choice.
Illegal abortions dey shelle for unsanitary conditions wey threaten di health of di patient
Few doctors wey dey provide legal abortions wan tok about di issue openly.
High-profile arrests ova di years don make di situation “dangerous for health workers”, according to Prof Joachim Osur, one reproductive and sexual health expert for Amref International University for Nairobi. Na about how di law dey understood.
“Depending on how di judge interpret di legality of di procedure wey pesin do, e fit go either way,” e tok.
Charles Kanjama, for white T-shirt, dey against to change di law to make am easier to get abortion
Anti-abortion campaigners and associated religious organisations for Kenya, many of wey di anti-abortion lobby for di United States dey support, insist say di law dey clear: abortion dey illegal.
Charles Kanjama, chairperson of di Kenya Christian Professionals Forum, dey regularly speak out against abortion and dey organise rallies for Nairobi.
“For us, we no tink any opposite. We tink say [di penal code and di constitution] dey aligned. I no support amendment of our laws to remove di crime of abortion,” e tok.
Foetuses inside bags fit sometimes wash up for di banks of di river for Nairobi
Back for di clinic wia she dey try get termination, di man, wey say e bin train as doctor and perform around 150 abortions inside one month, don finish to put di medicine inside her to induce abortion.
“We get, like four to five hours before di medicine begin take action. But later, wen hell break loose, she go experience di same tin pipo experience wen dem dey give birth,” e tok.
Edith bin save up 4,000 Kenyan shillings for di abortion. E no dey enough but di clinic agree to do di procedure on condition say she go pay more later.
One week afta di abortion, Edith bin tok say, she describe wetin e be like to get abortion for secret.
“I bin dey alone and in so much pain dat I dey hit di walls. I bin dey wonder wetin dey go on, if I dey give birth. I dey tink: ‘I no wan die for dis house alone.’
“You do am in pain, sake of say you bin no expect sometin like dat. You love children but considering di life you dey live, you need to do dat.”
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