Abortion creates complicated societal, socioeconomic, and healthcare difficulties across Africa. It proves how cultural norms in many African societies associate a woman’s worth with reproduction, especially within the context of marriage. Unwanted pregnancies outside of these boundaries are stigmatised, leading women to risky abortion procedures due to limited healthcare infrastructure.
For married women in Africa, the abortion rate is around 26 per 1,000, while it is 36 per 1,000 for single women. This shows the critical need for readily available and safe abortion services. However, patriarchal norms and cultural shame frequently constrain women’s independence of their bodies, increasing their level of vulnerability.
Socioeconomic gaps have a significant impact on the accessibility of abortion services. Women from low-income and rural areas are more likely to have unsafe abortions due to a lack of access to healthcare facilities and resources. Abortion rates differ by demographic, with factors such as advanced mother age, urban residency, early sexual debut, substance use, and media exposure all having an impact. Unsafe operations performed by inexperienced medical professionals or through self-induced methods result in serious health problems such as sepsis, perforations, and even hysterectomies. Vulnerable groups, such as migrants and women in age-disparate relationships, suffer increased risks as a result of exploitation and restrictive abortion regulations.
Africa’s healthcare infrastructure is inadequate for providing safe abortion services, with shortages of crucial medications such as mifepristone and misoprostol, as well as surgical techniques such as manual vacuum aspiration (MVA). Women frequently resort to dangerous practices, using chemicals or mechanical devices due to a lack of adequate facilities. The COVID-19 pandemic compounded these issues by disrupting maternal health and family planning initiatives, resulting in lower outcomes for women seeking care. Restrictive abortion regulations, ironically, correlate to increased rates of unsafe abortions, highlighting the need for legal reforms that facilitate access to safe treatments.