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Unwanted pregnancy and unsafe abortion in Namibia: testimonies from women affected by HIV

Unwanted pregnancy and unsafe abortion in Namibia: testimonies from women affected by HIV. Jennifer Gatsi Mallet Namibian Women’s Health Network (NWHN). Advocacy to address the sexual and reproductive rights of women living with HIV at the country level in the South and the North

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Unwanted pregnancy and unsafe abortion in Namibia: testimonies from women affected by HIV

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  1. Unwanted pregnancy and unsafe abortion in Namibia: testimonies from women affected by HIV Jennifer Gatsi Mallet Namibian Women’s Health Network (NWHN) Advocacy to address the sexual and reproductive rights of women living with HIV at the country level in the South and the North 2012 International AIDS Conference Washington, DC

  2. NWHN work on sexual and reproductive health & rights • Capacity-building for youth and adults on gender, violence, contraception, unwanted pregnancy, unsafe abortion and reproductive rights • Advocacy on access to contraception, emergency contraception, post-exposure prophylaxis • Clinic health ethics committees • Youth Economic Empowerment Program, incorporating components of SRHR • Technical Working Group for the Removal of Discriminatory HIV/AIDS-related Laws, Regulations, Policies and Practices

  3. Unwanted pregnancy, unsafe abortion and child abandonment • Abortion legally permitted for danger to a woman’s life, danger to her physical and mental health, in cases of rape and incest, and cases of fetal malformation • Legal abortions scarcely are performed; no government information given to communities about legal abortion • 2009, Minister of Health: ““about one third of the deaths were due to septic and illegally-induced abortion most likely unsafely performed somewhere….Fifty-nine per cent of the women dying of abortion related complications were under the age of 25. • Emergency contraception only provided at 29% of surveyed health facilities offering family-planning services in 2009 • High incidence of “baby dumping”

  4. 19 anonymous stories from 3 regions Girls & women aged 12-24 years at the time of the unwanted pregnancy Support given by Ipas

  5. Advocacy using the booklet of testimonies • Public launch of the booklet on 3 August 2011 • 50 people attended, including partners, stakeholders, media, government staff and civil society representatives • Media coverage on TV, printed press and Internet • Letter to Minister of Health: request a strategic assessment on unwanted pregnancies, abortion and baby dumping with assistance from WHO • Deputy Minister of Health promised follow-up in separate meeting • Follow-up: reminder letter sent to Minister of Health • Next steps: raising the issue of unsafe abortion in national technical committee on SRH and reviewing abortion law to identify needed amendments

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