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Where should you go for a safe abortion in South Africa? Free Abortion Clinic Near Me!
The regulations governing sexuality and reproductive health in South Africa are among the most progressive anywhere in the world. This indicates that we, as women, are free to make decisions about our own bodies.
Abortion is permitted in the state of South Africa up to the 20th week of a woman’s pregnancy. Since November 1996, it has always been like this. After the 20th week of pregnancy, a termination may be done; however, this option is only available if your life is in danger or your baby cannot be brought to term.
About Getting an Abortion
The decision has always been and will continue to be yours to make. Your body, your decision. Despite this, it is not a problem that can be solved easily. In particular when you are unsure about where to go to get the operation done in a secure environment. Every other flier advertises abortion services that are described as being risk-free and painless.
But who can really be relied upon?
Find out what your alternatives are for having an abortion that is legal and safe in your area, as well as how to tell whether a clinic or abortion service is dangerous.
This is all you need to know, beginning with the alphabet…
Free Abortion Clinic Near Me
Always Know your rights
Abortions should be available to all women in a legal and safe setting. This indicates that it makes no difference how old you are or what your family, spouse, or partner feels about the situation. You have the ultimate control over the situation. You are free to undergo the process an unlimited number of times without facing any consequences.
You have the ability to make decisions that are in your own best interest and those of your body.
There are certain medical professionals that refuse to be associated in any capacity with termination services. This is their decision, and that is perfectly OK. In the event that they are unable or unwilling to assist you for whatever reason, they are expected to point you in the direction of another person or location that will. That is stated in the legislation. Become familiar with your rights and make advantage of them.
You Need to Know your options
When it comes to having an abortion, your choices are not limited. It is critical that you have a conversation with your healthcare provider about which of the available options will put you in the least amount of danger.
Abortions conducted medically: A medical abortion is an abortion that is carried out only via the use of medicine (pills or tablets). Women who are between four and nine weeks pregnant and are interested in this option may pursue it. The duration of the process varies from woman to woman, but it often lasts for a few days at the very least.
Two medications are required in order to carry out a medical abortion. The first one will prevent the embryo from developing, and the second one, which is administered two days later, will cause the embryo to be expelled by contractions. For the first six hours, you may have heavy bleeding, and you should prepare yourself to bleed or spot for around two weeks.
When 10 to 14 days have passed, it is critical to schedule a follow-up appointment in order to confirm if the abortion was effective.
In-Clinic Abortion commonly known as Surgical Procedure
Abortions that are performed surgically may be performed by a nurse or a doctor, and the surgery often takes place on the same day in a clinic or hospital. To kickstart the procedure, you can be given the same medications as are used during a medical abortion. After the surgical abortion is over, you often won’t bleed as much as you would have with a medicinal abortion. induces contractions, which results in the expulsion of the embryo. For the first six hours, you may have heavy bleeding, and you should prepare yourself to bleed or spot for around two weeks.
When 10 to 14 days have passed, it is critical to schedule a follow-up appointment in order to confirm if the abortion was effective.
FREE TO TERMINATE? WHY BACKSTREET ABORTIONS ARE THRIVING
Eyewitness News pretended to be a lady looking for an abortion and contacted twelve different community health facilities and hospitals in the province of Gauteng. At seven of them, there was either no response or the stated number did not work, and the options were as follows: Hillbrow Community Health Centre; Discoverers Community Health Centre; Lillian Ngoyi Community Health Centre; Jabulani Dumani Community Health Centre; Lenasia South Community Health Centre; Zola Community Health Centre; and Johan Heyns Community Health Centre. Hillbrow Community Health Centre; Discoverers Community Health Centre; Lillian Ngoyi Community Health Centre; Jabulani Dumani Community Health Centre.
We contacted the following five facilities: the Tshiawelo Community Health Centre, the Laudium Community Health Centre, the Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital, and the Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital. In addition, we were able to contact the South Rand Hospital.
In the Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital, we talked with a member of staff who informed us that the facility did not perform any abortions. When we asked whether he could point us in the direction of an institution that offered such services, he responded by stating that “clinics” were the establishments that provided them.
In addition to that, we called five other local clinics. Just one, the Eldorado Park Clinic, responded to our request for information.
“Not at our local clinics,” the doctor said.
When we were there, we also met with a member of the staff at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital, who said that the facility does not perform abortions until the second trimester of pregnancy and only on referral. When asked to recommend a clinic that offered abortions during the first trimester of pregnancy, he said he was only familiar with four clinics in the area that offered such services.
“Either you go to South Rand Hospital or you go to Lenasia Clinic or you come here in Soweto – there’s Tshiawelo Clinic and there’s Zola Clinic as well,” he added. “Here in Soweto, there is Tshiawelo Clinic and Zola Clinic.”
Tshiawelo Clinic and South Rand Hospital were the only two of these establishments that we were able to reach by phone. In the end, we were only successful in contacting these two clinics, as well as the Laudium Community Health Centre in Centurion, and these were the only ones who indicated that they would be able to help with abortion during the first trimester.