2 Up And 2 Down

This formula has become very popular among the current crop of people who terminate pregnancy on their own. Today anybody at all can confidently walk into a drug store to purchase the famous drug known as cytotec to cause abortion. Whiles some licensed chemists or pharmacists will drive away clients who walk in like that, others will welcome them to increase their sales. The problem here is that, in most cases the clients are not asked any question, they are not examined and some just missed their period as a result of other factors but not pregnancy, yet they get to buy the drug.

I have personally interviewed over 70 female who used cytotec to cause abortion but failed. Some of them bleed scantily while others do not experience anything. It is alleged that most of the cytotecs being sold out are fake. It is only after the drug fails that some of them rush to hospitals or clinics to receive post abortion care. Medically, cytotec will cause the uterus to contract but another drug has to be administered to expel the fetus, fortunately or unfortunately this drug is not available at the drug stores save some hospitals and clinics.

Aside the drug stores offering cytotecs to be taken 2 up and 2 down, there are still a lot of drug peddlers who move from community to community selling all kinds of drugs from abortion herbs to sex enhancing drugs. The youth are the most vulnerable to these kinds of situations making them the victims.

At least it’s good news that many have moved from using grinded bottles, sticks, sugar and café, beer and sugar, liquid soaps etc which was contributing a lot to the maternal mortality in the country. In dealing with this issue, parents must start having discussions on sex and sexuality with their children and stop the yelling and shouting. Religious organizations must join in the crusade and work with health institutions for the members to be educated, education on contraceptive use must be intensified, and education with regards to the laws on abortion must be made known to the public not excluding health workers. We must not pretend that unsafe abortion is not going on but rather be opened, discuss it and find lasting solutions at all levels.

Michael Nii Sackey Tagoe

(mickeytagoe@facebook.com)

Pedu Village

Cape Coast