What is Abortion? The deliberate pregnancy ending at an early stage.
Abortion can happen to women either teenagers, adults or old. In PNG Abortion is illegal and if any women or clinics involve are found will be punished by the court of law.
Survey Questions:
- What are your views on abortion?
- What are the current statistic in PNG between youths
- Effects and what causes
- Illegality of Abortion in PNG?
Survey Responses:
Weiana Bobidia age 24/ female: Milne Bay and Central Province
1. What do you think about abortion?
“I know it’s happening illegally and it’s such a pity for those people who actually consider it. How can you live with yourself after you’ve done something like that? If you don’t want a baby, just don’t have sex… and if you’re about to have a baby, consider it a blessing.”
2. How can abortion affect your relationship?
“I don’t know because I haven’t been put in that situation but I believe that I wouldn’t be able to tolerate someone or a partner agrees with the idea of abortion. If you don’t want the baby I’ll have it myself… your relationship is a separate matter and I just hate how children are dragged into situations they have no control over because of the stupid decisions adults make. I think abortion reflects people’s stupidity, irresponsibility…unless, in medical situations where you have to save the mothers life.”
3. What suggestions can you give on people faced with this dilemma?
“I hate to say never think twice but we’re all human and that happens. Turn to God… he’s there even when you think he can’t hear you… he’s there… so have hope and don’t think you’re all alone. Talk to a friend you trust. That’s all I know, turning to God, because he makes everything right. There’s no other way.”
Sharon Turia age 26/ female: East Sepik and Kerema Province
1. What do you think about abortion?
“It’s a painful experience and I don’t think people who have had the procedure done feel any good about it and themselves. Not only is it just physically removing a foetus, the experience remains with you for the rest of your life and can lead to psychological trauma… that’s what I think would happen.”
2. How can abortion affect your relationship?
“I don’t think a woman would be mentally sound after such an experience. I know in high school a couple of my friends used traditional methods to do abortion and the way I saw it, it affected their self-esteem. How they embraced life after that was reckless and maybe deep inside they needed healing or … and I know they didn’t end up with the guys that got them pregnant… it was as though they aborted their relationships as well. ”
3. What suggestions can you give on people faced with this dilemma?
Greta Rika age 25/ female: Central Province
1. What do you think about abortion?
“Women who do that are ‘walking graveyards’. I don’t like the idea. It’s murder!”
2. How can abortion affect your relationship?
“Some men will be supportive and be there for you but if it means more to your partner to have a child and you insensitively kill the child… you will create a graveyard for yourself and a grieving person for the your partners life.”
3. What suggestions can you give on people faced with this dilemma?
“Talk about it as much as you can with people who are close to you and that you trust. Don’t make it a personal decision because it’s not just your life you’re thinking about but a new life as well and that means you can’t afford to be selfish.”
Jason Innaido age 24/ male: Morobe Province
1. What do you think about abortion?
“I don’t think it’s a good idea. People who don’t have values and direction in life do that and I know I wouldn’t want to be with someone capable of killing her own child. Yes some men think its ok because they just couldn’t be bothered and if you’re with someone like that I don’t think he loves you or cares about you and you’d be a fool to think otherwise.”
2. How can abortion affect your relationship?
“For couples trying to decide, it can have a big strain on your relationship. It’s good when you come to a compromise but better when you know you won’t regret the decision that you’ve made. For couples who’ve already gone through it, there’s no other person with arms more wide open to take you back than God.”
3. What suggestions can you give on people faced with this dilemma?
“I think it’s the best time to turn to God. What other better time than when things are going topsy-turvy. Just stick with him and ask not what you or your partner wants but what God wants. ”
Malam Steven age 23/male: New Ireland Province
1. What do you think about abortion?
“It’s usually up to the girl to make and the thing is it takes two people to conceive a child so both people should be involved in deciding. I know some guys can abandon the girls so it can be tough. Abortion would never have to happen if people were more responsible.”
2. How can abortion affect your relationship?
“Like I said, it can break up your relationship…I don’t know about any couple that can keep aborting children and staying together but sometimes it can bring a couple closer together and maybe make them change for the better…
3. What suggestions can you give on people faced with this dilemma?
“From the top of my head, be supportive of each other more than ever. Don’t be selfish…especially guys, be there for the girls more than ever and get through the whole situation… help her make the right decision.”
Spontaneous abortion
Main article: MiscarriageSpontaneous abortions, generally referred to as miscarriages, occur when an embryo or fetus is lost due to natural causes before the 20th week of gestation. A pregnancy that ends earlier than 37 weeks of gestation, if it results in a live-born infant, is known as a “premature birth“. When a fetus dies in the uterus at some point late in gestation, beginning at about 20 weeks, or during delivery, it is termed a “stillbirth“. Premature births and stillbirths are generally not considered to be miscarriages although usage of these terms can sometimes overlap.Most miscarriages occur very early in pregnancy. Between 10% and 50% of pregnancies end in miscarriage, depending upon the age and health of the pregnant woman.[11] In most cases, they occur so early in the pregnancy that the woman is not even aware that she was pregnant.The risk of spontaneous abortion decreases sharply after the 8th week.[12] This risk is greater in those with a known history of several spontaneous abortions or an induced abortion, those with systemic diseases, and those over age 35. Other causes can be infection (of either the woman or fetus), immune response, or serious systemic disease. A spontaneous abortion can also be caused by accidental trauma; intentional trauma to cause miscarriage is considered induced abortion or feticide.
Induced abortion
A pregnancy can be intentionally aborted in many ways. The manner selected depends chiefly upon the gestational age of the fetus, in addition to the legality, regional availability, and doctor-patient preference for specific procedures.
Surgical abortion
Gestational age may determine which abortion methods are practiced.In the first twelve weeks, suction-aspiration or vacuum abortion is the most common method.[13] Manual vacuum aspiration, or MVA abortion, consists of removing the fetus or embryo by suction using a manual syringe, while the Electric vacuum aspiration or EVA abortion method uses an electric pump. These techniques are comparable, differing in the mechanism used to apply suction, how early in pregnancy they can be used, and whether cervical dilation is necessary. MVA, also known as “mini-suction” and menstrual extraction, can be used in very early pregnancy, and does not require cervical dilation. Surgical techniques are sometimes referred to as STOP: ‘Suction (or surgical) Termination Of Pregnancy’. From the fifteenth week until approximately the twenty-sixth week, a dilation and evacuation (D & E) is used. D & E consists of opening the cervix of the uterus and emptying it using surgical instruments and suction.Dilation and curettage (D & C) is a standard gynecological procedure performed for a variety of reasons, including examination of the uterine lining for possible malignancy, investigation of abnormal bleeding, and abortion. Curettage refers to cleaning the walls of the uterus with a curette. The World Health Organization recommends this procedure, also called sharp curettage, only when MVA is unavailable.[14] The term “D and C”, or sometimes suction curette, is used as a euphemism for the first trimester abortion procedure, whichever the method used.Other techniques must be used to induce abortion in the third trimester. Premature delivery can be induced with prostaglandin; this can be coupled with injecting the amniotic fluid with caustic solutions containing saline or urea. After the 16th week of gestation, abortions can be induced by intact dilation and extraction (IDX) (also called intrauterine cranial decompression), which requires surgical decompression of the fetus’s head before evacuation. IDX is sometimes termed “partial-birth abortion,” which has been federally banned in the United States. A hysterotomy abortion is an abortion procedure similar to a caesarean section, and is performed under general anesthesia because it is considered major abdominal surgery. The procedure requires a smaller incision than a caesarean section and is used during later stages of pregnancy.[15]From the 20th to 23rd week of gestation, an injection to stop the fetal heart can be used as the first phase of the surgical abortion procedure.[16]
Medical abortion
Main article: Medical abortionEffective in the first trimester of pregnancy, medical (sometimes called chemical abortion), or non-surgical abortions comprise 10% of all abortions in the United States and Europe. Combined regimens include methotrexate or mifepristone, followed by a prostaglandin (either misoprostol or gemeprost: misoprostol is used in the U.S.; gemeprost is used in the UK and Sweden.) When used within 49 days gestation, approximately 92% of women undergoing medical abortion with a combined regimen completed it without surgical intervention.[17] Misoprostol can be used alone, but has a lower efficacy rate than combined regimens. In cases of failure of medical abortion, vacuum or manual aspiration is used to complete the abortion surgically.
Other means of abortion
Bas-relief at Angkor Wat, dated circa 1150, depicting a demon performing an abortion by pounding a mallet into a woman’s belly.Historically, a number of herbs reputed to possess abortifacient properties have been used in folk medicine: tansy, pennyroyal, black cohosh, and the now-extinct silphium (see history of abortion).[18] The use of herbs in such a manner can cause serious — even lethal — side effects, such as multiple organ failure, and is not recommended by physicians.[19]Abortion is sometimes attempted by causing trauma to the abdomen. The degree of force, if severe, can cause serious internal injuries without necessarily succeeding in inducing miscarriage.[20] Both accidental and deliberate abortions of this kind can be subject to criminal liability in many countries. In Burma, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand, there is an ancient tradition of attempting abortion through forceful abdominal massage.[21]Reported methods of unsafe, self-induced abortion include misuse of misoprostol, and insertion of non-surgical implements such as knitting needles and clothes hangers into the uterus. These methods are less frequently seen in developed countries where surgical means are legal and regionally-available.[22]
To get more information about abortion visit the following
Port Moresby – Susu Mama Inc PH# 323 2697/323 2528
Lae – Family and Planning (IPI Building 2nd Floor
Or your nearest clinics throughout PNG.
For more information about the World Bank Youth Outreach Program visit our Blog that is www.yutokoutreach2007.wordpress.com or send us an email on yutokoutreach2007@gmail.com
Or call PH:321 7111 ask for Stanley, Dwain or Rex.
Filed under: Relationships
“Abortion like many things is illegal in this country. But like many illigal things it will occur regardless. There are many reason’s someone may want an abortion that come down to every individual. And i’m not one to judge but i’d like to think the majority of these people that ever get into considering it have good reasons.
When somethings legalised at least it can be monitored and conducted safely. Also, in other countries that do allow abortion, people have to go through a counselling session beforehand so at least they can consider all other options and consequences of such an extreme action.
This means no more unhealthy dangerous methods of abortion and perhaps some will change their minds about abortions because of counselling.”
Comment on the webpage “Brilliant idea, more needs to be done to encourage open forums with these topics, espicially amoungst the younger generations. We can only move forward by recognizing these issues and discussing them openly to counter the stigma associated with them.”
Abortion is illegal in PNG but I guess we need to look at the circumstances that warrants a women, girl to adort her fetus. There are also valid reasons for these to occur and in a country like Papua New Guinea sometimes these valid reasons are over-shadowed by moral principals.
Papua New Guinea should really look at its laws. Take stock of the changing trend and work to account for such situations. We should give our citizens a chance to decide for themselves. We should not pass laws and choke them.
Consider, a young lady being raped and she is pregnant from that ordeal. If her decision is to terminate her pregnancy because of financial reasons, social reasons etc…..
We are not the ones going to bare this burden. She would therefore, we should give her the chance to determine for herself in keeping her fetus or not.
Abortion is sometimes a very complicated matter depending on the individual and he/she views abortion. infact prior to my birth my conception was subject to abortion. the people responsible for my conception had conflicting views of my conception and birth that resulted in the end of their disasterous relationship. Their hate for aech other was turned to me as I grew up. I was always blended like the spouse who abandonded me by the spouse who raised me. My survival was sometimes blamed for miseries and misfortunes we faced in the house.I sometimes think the spouse who suggested the abortion was wise and right. I am happy for who I am today but at the back of my mind I always knew the spouse who abandoned us right about abortion at that time. I am not a very happy person and will never be because of the facts that surrounds my livelyhood. I strongly believe abortion should be legalised in PNG so that woman can unconditionally decide their destinies and the faith of their life. otherwise people will always have others around to blame for their miseries, failures and hardships.
With our population booming, poverty increasing, economy declining, HIV/AIDS increasing and increasing rates of illegal abortions we should begin to consider abotion as a means to minimising this issues.