Abortion law affects health

Since abortion on request became legal in South Africa, morbidity associated with incomplete abortion, including illegally induced abortion and spontaneous miscarriage, has decreased. Jewkes and colleagues (p 1252) surveyed the clinical findings of women admitted for incomplete abortion and their subsequent care in 47 hospitals in 2000, and compared these with a 1994 study. Fewer blood transfusions and antibiotics were given in 2000, but the magnitude of the decrease was not substantial. The authors say this could be due to the continued practice of covert induced abortion in unregistered settings.


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Relevant Article

Prevalence of morbidity associated with abortion before and after legalisation in South Africa
Rachel Jewkes, Heather Brown, Kim Dickson-Tetteh, Jonathan Levin, and Helen Rees
BMJ 2002 324: 1252-1253. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]

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