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  • Essay / Legalization of abortion

    Medically terminating a pregnancy before it has a chance to result in the birth of a baby is abortion (Izugbara, Otsola, & Ezeh, 2009). Abortion has not yet been legalized in Kenya due to pro-life and pro-choice feuds. Pro-life believers, especially the Church, believe that children are a gift from God and should not be killed under any circumstances. Proponents of choice believe that each individual should have the right to choose whether to continue the pregnancy or terminate it for various reasons. Abortion should be a choice. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”? Get the original essay The population of Kenya, according to the latest census, stands at 41.6 million people, this figure estimates that There are approximately 36 new births per 1,000 inhabitants (East Africa Center for Law and Justice, 2016). Kenya is a growing economy and does not yet have the resources to support a birth rate of 2.5% per year. Research shows that most pregnancies are unplanned and occur primarily among the lower social class, who do not have the means to support themselves. Africa, especially Kenya, is socially conservative, which is why pregnancy occurring before marriage is considered an indecent act, especially if it occurs among teenage girls. Parents, unwilling to face social stigma, take their children to have abortions in clandestine clinics where doctors have no medical qualifications in medicine and even less in gynecology. They use unsterilized tools and uncertified methods to perform abortions. Every year, 21,000 people are admitted to hospital due to unsafe abortions and 2,600 die, either from infections, complications or excessive blood loss (East African Center for Law and Justice, 2016). Abortion in rural areas is completely hated compared to urban areas because people here are more liberal. Life in rural areas is difficult; Finances are strained as most people depend on small-scale farming as a source of income. Consequently, any addition to the family further strains the meager resources; they may not have the chance to receive a decent education, which ultimately affects the jobs available to them. As a result, the cycle of poverty continues instead of encouraging biological parents, and society cannot afford safe abortion which seems to be the best option in such situations. Social stigma is a significant factor in rural areas, such that unwanted pregnancies are completely hidden and victims' mothers resort to unconventional methods to terminate their pregnancies. Familiar methods used to induce abortion in rural areas are the use of pills or preparations. The concoctions are usually a mixture of shrubs that have no scientific basis for use in abortions, but older women are considered experienced and therefore have the responsibility to prepare them. A 17-year-old girl almost died after consuming one of these concoctions, as reported by one of Kenya's leading national newspapers. Rape leads to unplanned and unwanted pregnancies which push victims to resort to abortion. According to the Kenyan constitution, abortion is only permitted if the health of the mother is in danger in the opinion of the qualified health professional (East African Center for Law and Justice, 2016). The Center for Rights, 28(4), 397-425.