Quote
“If she doh get it done dat mean she hadda keep it and ruin everything! She hadda get it an daz all, you think if I cuff she belly it go work?”
Case
Vishal: Chris boy, we hadda talk jed, ah dunno what to do….
Chris: Wham so boy?
Vishal: Ah mess up boy, ah real dunno how it happen.
[Cradles head in his palms]
Chris: Relax nah boy, tell me wha happen so.
Vishal: She pregnant boy……..
Chris: Wait wait wait, I thought you wasn’t doing anything with she?
Vishal: We din really think it bout it an we end up doin it…. Ah pull out though! I dunno how it happen!
Chris: Pull out yuh say? Yuh dotish owa?! No kinda protection self either? You aint know dat thing doh work? You could still get them pregnant!
[Vishal gets up and starts pacing]
Vishal: Now, a month later I seeing facebook messages sayin how she period late and she real scared and thing. I tell she to relax, she kya be pregnant cause ah pull out. But ah went and google all kind thing … She tired and have mood swings, she vomiting and she appetite all over the place.
[Chris listens skeptically]
Chris: Ok what happening?
Vishal: We thought we was safe yesterday when she tell meh she bleed a little bit. But today nothing come and I went and look online again and it say a little bleedling like that is spotting and it does happen when u pregnant too.
Vishal: Boy I dunno what to do, we kya have no baby now. My parents go literally kill meh, and doh talk for she. She go get put out the house, where we gonna go, how we go mine this ting?!
Nah nah nah, this kya be happening to me, this wasn’t supposed to happen!!
Chris: Ok ok calm yuhself, you looking like you go drop down with a stroke for me now.
Vishal:…we hadda…u know… get rid ah dis thing inno.
Chris: How u mean get rid ah it? Abortion?
Vishal: Well… yea, if we do that it go clear up everything, all we life go go back to normal.
Is not the first time I think dis inno. I go be studying whole night how to do it. How to get rid ah it doh? We dunno any doctor and she parents so strict. I kya take she nowhere to see one. I dunno nothing bout it.
Chris: Me too, ah never had cause to even think bout this kinda thing…But you know if she wana get an abortion?
Vishal: How you mean “if”?! Is the only way to fix this ent?
Chris: Yea but she might not want to go with that, you know how people does get when they hear that word. Some people feel is murder yuh kno!
Vishal: Well how the hell we go get through this?? If she doh get it done dat mean she hadda keep it and ruin everything! She hadda get it… You think if I cuff she belly it go work? Or ah hear yuh could drink two hot Stag to poison it ent?
Chris: *steups* Doh be schupid for me here now eh! You mad owa?! You want to kill she and all?? You hadda calm yuhself before you get in even more trouble… Just talk to her and find out, she scared just like you..
Vishal: *deep breaths* Aite aite, ah sorry, but seriously though, which part you does get it done? Everybody does talk bout abortions, but I doh know who to go by to find out bout it! All that coming to meh head is ting bout men with coat hanger.
Chris: Look my sister have a friend who get one done aright. Just relax yuhself and we go see if we could find out bout it.
Vishal: *sigh* alright, lewwe do that. Thanks eh….
Discussion
Abortion is a complex subject with many aspects (biological, psychological, social, religious and legal) which Vishal and his partner, Sunita, must consider. Despite this, the facts remain that it is difficult for women like Sunita to get access to safe abortions, as they are only legally permitted when the mother’s life, physical or mental health is at risk in most Caribbean countries. As a consequence of this, Sunita is likely to use medications which are not supposed to be used for abortions to avoid doctors, high fees and public stigma. (1)
Even in areas where abortion is legalized and carried out by trained providers the procedure, like any other, carries risks. These include: blood loss, infections and damage to parts of Sunita reproductive tract (2). Unsafe abortions via the use of medication or other crude methods are often done by untrained individuals and consequently the risks of these things are markedly higher. In addition, the W.H.O. marks it as one of the easiest preventable cause of maternal mortality. (3)
The laws vary in the Caribbean but most countries state that if Sunita tries to miscarry, or anyone assisting her to do so are subject to prison sentence. For instance, pursuant to Section 56 of the Offence Against the Persons Act Chap. 11:08 of Trinidad and Tobago a woman can be liable to imprisonment for four years for procuring an abortion. Further, section 57 of the aforementioned Act provides at term of imprisonment of two years for an individual who assists in the procurement of the abortion.(4) Some islands restrict abortions for purely biomedical reasons, others include psychological stress as a valid reason, less extend to consider socioeconomic reasons and only Cuba, Guyana and Puerto Rico allow abortions without restriction. (5)
Even though it is illegal to have abortions many Caribbean islands, some women (3%) still have abortions with about half of these being unsafe. (6) Although the number of women who have abortions are difficult to measure, it is believed to be a major cause for women dying and being admitted to hospitals. Globally, many women (13%) die because of not being able to access safe abortion. (6) In addition, unsafe abortions have significant consequences for poor families leaving children motherless; cause long-term health problems, like causing mothers to be unable to be pregnant again; and result in considerable costs to already struggling public health system.
How do we begin to counteract this issue? Some means worth mentioning are:
- Proper sexual educations in schools: Most people learn about this topic from misinformed peers and what can be gleaned from the media which can be equally misleading and lacking.
“Prevention is better than cure”
Ideally, introducing formal sexual education into the curriculum would result in healthier behaviors and likely less pregnancies to start with, in addition to other benefits.(7). This has been a topic of discussion for many years among organisations (e.g. FPATT(8)) and individuals alike, which continues today(9).
- Discussions should be encouraged to decide whether women should continue to be denied the right to choose to abort their child. Allowing abortions to take place in a controlled and safe environment, by trained professionals will significantly reduce the maternal mortality and morbidity associated with it, however the public morals will have to be taken into account(10).
- Publicizing the complications of certain abortion remedies as mentioned above. Granted that many may still accept the risks, at the very least it can reduce the instances of unreasonably dangerous abortion for example the use of trauma to the mother or intentional falls, chemicals and concoctions being injected into the womb, use of foreign objects and non prescribed medications.
In conclusion, more thought needs to be put into the topic of abortion, the level of public knowledge, how to improve it and the legality of it in the country.
References
- Pheterson, Gail, and Yamila Azize. “Abortion within and around the law in the Caribbean.” Puerto Rico health sciences journal 27.1 (2008).
- Nhs.uk. Abortion – NHS Choices [Internet]. 2015 [cited 12 September 2015]. Available from: http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Abortion/Pages/Introduction.aspx Accessed on 19/09/15
- Who.int. WHO | Maternal mortality [Internet]. 2015 [cited 12 September 2015]. Available from: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs348/en/ Accessed on 19/09/15
- Offences Against the Person Act Chap 11:08 in Trinidad and Tobago. Availble from: http://rgd.legalaffairs.gov.tt/laws2/alphabetical_list/lawspdfs/11.08.pdf. Accessed on 19/09/15
- Guttmacher Institute. “Facts on Abortion in Latin America And the Caribbean.” Available at: https://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/IB_AWW-Latin-America.pdf. Accessed on: 05/08/15
- World Health Organization (WHO), Unsafe Abortion: Global and Regional Estimates of the Incidence of Unsafe Abortion and Associated Mortality in 2008, sixth ed., Geneva: WHO, 2011.
- Consequences of Sex Education on Teen and Young Adult Sexual Behaviors and Outcomes. Lindberg, Laura Duberstein et al. Journal of Adolescent Health , Volume 51 , Issue 4 , 332 – 338
- Ttfpa.org. FPATT News [Internet]. 2015 [cited 12 September 2015]. Available from: http://www.ttfpa.org/news/gerrybrooks.htm
- Dixon B. More work needed on sex education for youth. Trinidad and Tobago Guardian [Internet]. 2014 [cited 12 September 2015];. Available from: http://www.guardian.co.tt/lifestyle/2014-11-30/more-work-needed-sex-education-youth
- Cates Jr. W, Grimes D, Schulz K. The Public Health Impact of Legal Abortion: 30 Years Later. Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health. 2003;35(01):025-028.
- K. Mahabir Traditional Medicine and Women Healers in Trinidad: Postnatal Health Care. 2012. Chakra Publishing House Ltd. ISBN 978-976-95049-6-7
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