We should support the decriminalisation of abortion

THE EDITOR, Madam:

It is regrettable to hear a man of the clergy aim to belittle an accomplished politician by calling on the prime minister to ‘rein her in’. Personally, I find it rather rude and out of character, as only animals can be reined in, and the politician is well within her scope of occupation to air such views and push such policies.

However, that will not be the essence of this article. Abortion has been the subject of public and parliamentary discussions for quite some years now. It has been the culture of our society to maintain the religious belief that pregnant women should not abort any of their unborn children. Some believe that it should be allowed in the event of rape or potential harm to the life of the expectant mother. What has not been realised by the public is the fact that no matter what the laws or culture states, abortions occur nonetheless, but create alarming risks to the lives of many women and teenage girls.

A study, titled ‘Preventing unsafe abortions and its consequences’, which took place in Latin America and the Caribbean showed that roughly 200,000 women had unsafe abortions in the Caribbean alone, most of which led to loss of life or health complications. Of those who survived, trauma plagues their lives, such as infertility, organ damage, among other permanent ailments.

In Jamaica, we lack sufficient statistics on abortions and their safety; yet, since 2006, many stories of abortions have arisen in the media, and untold stories have also come to light.

The fact being outlined here is that abortions are being practised, despite being illegal. Alarming as it may be, the point of the matter is that women who encounter abortion, for whatever the case may be, end up risking their lives during or after the operation. Many studies have shown that this is because of either an environment that lacks the basic standard for carrying out safe abortions or unskilled individuals performing the acts. As a result, the World Health Organization (WHO) has made the claim that abortions are safe when carried out by a person with the necessary skills, using a WHO-recommended method appropriate to the pregnancy duration.

Nevertheless, safe abortions cannot occur in Jamaica, as due to the punitive penalties associated with conducting and undergoing an abortion, many doctors fear performing these operations. The current legislative framework simply is not supportive of safe abortions. The change is needed and, thankfully, may appear within the near future.

Cuthbert Flynn has brought to the Lower House of Parliament a motion which aims to protect women, especially those who are in the lower economic classes of society. The motion aims to set out the necessary criteria needed for access to safe abortion practices. This motion is what will set women who need abortions, free from resorting to ill-equipped individuals and unhealthy environments when undergoing abortion procedures.

As a society which praises the presence of women in society, leadership, the home, and family, it is our duty to ensure their protection and safety from resorting to unhealthy abortions. Mistakes happen, but they should not result in unsafe cures.

Support the need for decriminalising abortions to protect our women.

ANDRE BARRETT