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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><STRONG>Abortion ends 50% of SA
pregnancies</STRONG></FONT></DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>
<DIV><BR>Fifty percent of all pregnancies in South Africa end up in abortion and
more than 500 000 women have had the procedure done since the introduction of
the Choice on Termination of Pregnancy (TOP) Act in 1997.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>These statistics were recently released at a symposium organised by Ipas,
an international NGO trying to prevent unsafe abortions around the world. Ipas
has voiced concern over increases in the number of women opting for abortion,
saying it showed that South Africa's health authorities were failing young women
for not according contraception practices sufficient resources.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Professor Eddie Mhlanga, the head of obstetrics and gynaecology at Nelson R
Mandela School of Medicine at the University of KwaZulu Natal, and an Ipas board
member, warned at that while there was much to celebrate, the increases were
worrying.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Statistics show that 529 410 women have had safe, legal abortions since
1997. The number of public health facilities providing TOP services has
increased by 10% in the past two years. A total of 55% of facilities authorised
to provide abortions perform them, against a 45% target set by the Department of
Health.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Ipas has also highlighted that 24 percent of all abortions performed in the
country are done in the second trimester, putting the health of women at
risk.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>- Medigram, The South African Medical Association,
Volume: 15 Number: 6, April 13, 2007</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>