LEGAL ABORTION: ANALYSIS OF THE ABORTION LAWS

Abstract

. The research work examines the legality of abortion and analyses abortion laws.� It examines the social, psychological, emotional, financial impact of the illegality of abortion on sexual violence in Nigeria, and prolification of illegal abortion homes. It further examine the Nigerian laws on abortion and draws conclusions to support the need to liberalize the Nigerian laws in ways that conforms with international treaty obligations so as to avail women of their reproductive autonomy and the right to choose whether or not to abort or bring to full term pregnancies that resulted from rape, and other health threatening circumstances. This research adopts the doctrinal method. This research, observes that the victims of illegal abortion are commonly single girls, besides married and divorced women attempting in some ways to avoid unwanted pregnancies. The study also finds that strict abortion laws are the major factors behind the prolification of unhealthy abortion homes and activities of quacks which is detrimental to the well-being of the society; women in particular. �Based on the findings, the research recommends the liberalization of abortion laws in Nigeria to accommodate more circumstances that will enhance women�s reproductive health legally. The public should also be given adequate orientation on sex education and family planning, so as to eradicate the stigmatization attributed to sexual violence and report any case related to it as well as illegal or forcible abortion for prosecution. Therefore, with the above measures, the incidence of illegal abortion may reduce and few cases that occur would benefit from available health services. It concludes that abortion rights are also human rights and agitation for abortion law �reform would not abate as along as criminalization remains the main tool for regulating abortion.�

Identifiers

Resource ID

urn:uuid:31a1010e-2f98-437a-b3bf-cea2be42008d