ABORTION IN SOUTH AFRICA

STATS
The population of South Africa is approximately 41.2 million, with an annual growth rate of 2.1%, and about 19.9% of the countrys population between the ages of 15 and 49 is HIV-positive. Approximately 4 children are born to every woman and 200,000 unsafe/illegal abortions are performed each year, because only 74% of women use some form of contraception. And unfortunately, 400 women die each year from septic abortions.

THE OLD
Until 1975 abortion was basically illegal in South Africa. If you got pregnant you pretty much stayed pregnant, unless something medically unfortunate happened to the baby. In 1973, certain medical establishments and womens organizations(such as the Abortion Reform Action group) got together to create enough momentum in the country for the government to form a committee to come up with legislation regarding the availability of abortion services. The committee came up with the Abortion and Sterilization Act, which parliament did eventually pass. Under the new law the conditions under which abortion could be provided were so narrowly described that it made it more difficult to obtain abortions. These specifications included only when a pregnancy could seriously threaten a womans life or her physical or mental health; could cause severe handicap to the child; or was the result of rape, incest, or other unlawful intercourse. Also, women had to receive the approval of two different physicians, neither of whom could perform the actual procedure, and sometimes a woman would even need the approval of either a psychiatrist or a magistrate.

CONTROVERSY OVER THE OLD
Due to its over specification, the 1975 act did not increase access to safe abortion services and it also failed to improve the reproductive health of South African women, which were the two main goals of the law. Not only that, but women continued to go to these unsafe medical centers for abortions or even worse, they would go to get an illegal abortion, because they did not fit the requirements of the law. It could be estimated that 1,000 abortions were performed legally in South Africa each year, where the number of illegal abortions jumped from 120,000 annually in 1975 to 250,000 annually in 1996. It has also been recorded that in 1994 45,000 women were admitted into the hospitals for spontaneous abortions or complications of induced abortions. Approximately 12,000 of these women had moderate to severe complications resulting from illegal abortions, and 400 died from septic abortions.

OUT WITH THE OLD AND IN WITH THE NEW
With all these problems, it was clear South Africa needed a new abortion law. On February 1, 1997, the government put into effect the Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Act. The new law made it much more possible for more women to get legal abortions. It permits women to have an abortion during their first trimenster without the need of approval from doctors, psychiatrists or magistrates. Minors are counseled to notify their parent or guardian, but it is not required that they do so. Victims of rape or incest are not required to provide any documentation in order to get an abortion. In addition, women between 13 and 20 weeks of gestation can only get an abortion if a person in the medical field says that the pregnancy threatens the mental or physical health of the woman or fetus, if the pregancy resulted from rape or incest, or if it affects the womans socioeconomic situation. After the 20th week, abortion is only permitted if a doctor or trained midwife finds that continuation of the pregnancy would threaten the health of the woman or cause sever handicap to the fetus.

THE FUTURE OF ABORTION
The enactment of this law is only the first step to reducing the number of women killed from abortion and reducing the number of women who need abortions. The government hope to have other programs including patient outreach, provider education, equalization and expansion of services throughout the country, and continuous monitoring of how these activities are progressing, to coincide with the law.
Unfortunately, getting these programs started may prove harder then anticipated, because of the lack of medical staff willing to perform abortions. Many doctors and nurses in the country are refusing to carry out abortions. The Empangeni Hospital in northern KwaZulu-Natal seemed like a great choice for an abortion center, because of its 104 beds and modern equipment. However, nine months later it was discovered that only three of the 300 nurses working there had agreed to assist with abortions. In the first six months of the laws life, 13,000 abortions were performed in state hospitals, more than half of which were done at Johannesburgs hospitals and they only met half the demand. An additional problem is the many women who come in over the border from other countries where abortion is either not allowed or not easily available.

PLANNED PARENTHOOD CENTERS LOSE MONEY
Located just outside Johannesburg, the Planned Parenthood Association of South Africas youth center is facing a serious loss of money due to one of President Bushs policies. This center offers dancing, basketball, and computers to restless township youths who usually dont get to participate in such activities. In addition and more importantly, these young people can pick up free condoms, speak with sex education counselors, take pregnancy tests, and learn about AIDs. This center was only the first built of the 22 that are up and running throughout the nation. Unfortunately, these centers fears of a severe budget cut have been realized, as the US could pull about $650,000 it gives directly and indirectly to the programs. This is about a quarter of the centers annual budget.
The reason for the cutback lies in Bushs reinstatement of a ban that was in effect under President Reagan but was repealed by Clinton in 1993. The ban was on using federal funds for abortion and was started in 1973. Bush says that no US money can go to organizations that use even non-US funds to perform, lobby to legalize, or promote abortions. The 450 family planning organizations located overseas from the US were expected to share a sum of $425 million in US aid this year, but now have to face a choice: either stop promoting or advocating abortion or lose that money.
The Planned Parenthood Association of South Africas youth center is extremely upset by this idea. They say that many young people believe lies about sex because they dont know better. Some of them believe that drinking Coca-Cola after sex will protect them from AIDS or that having sex once is not enough to get a girl pregnant. They say that cutting off US funding may result in an increase in unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases, and the spread of AIDs as organizations in developing nations, because of this loss of money for contraceptives, sex education, and counseling.