The Nation abortion splash on Saturday, September 28, titled, “The hidden epidemic claiming seven lives daily“, was sensational in attempting to equate abortion to an epidemic.
One reading the headline undoubtedly expected to hear more about ‘this disease that is causing seven deaths daily’. The story by Wanja Mbuthia was about a serious matter affecting human reproductive health.
The story stated that in Kenya unintended pregnancies continue rising, from 34 per cent in 2014 to 41.9 per cent in 2020.
“Unsafe abortion is a hidden crisis with 500,000 performed every year with Sh500 million being spent every year treating complications. Unsafe abortions claim an estimated 2,600 lives annually or seven deaths daily, and the stigma persists, driving many women and girls to risk life, to avoid public shame.”
Published during the International Safe Abortion Day, the story highlighted some of the key issues surrounding unintended abortion, failing only to address the role both genders play in the problem.
Journalists writing on abortion tend to disregard the role of the boy child in reproductive health, early girl pregnancy or, as the story stated, unintended pregnancies.
It’s the high time that journalism took this debate a notch higher, now with more gender balance focus to it, especially regarding the role of the boy child.
Framing the girl child as the only victim might escalate the problem, slowing dealing with stigma associated with unintended pregnancy.
To change mindsets, journalists should objectively write more about abortion to increase awareness on underlining stigma.
It is a deep-seated assumption that, since he does carry the pregnancy, the boy child “has no feelings” once he impregnates a girl.
For a start, journalists should interview the boy child on the circumstances leading to girl child pregnancy.
It has mostly been assumed the reason is simply sex-driven but digging much further might reveal other underlying societal challenges, probably even psychosocial issues faced by the boy child from past traumas or stigma, that have not been addressed.
If such issues are exposed, researched and addressed, they could assist community health service providers with better interventions.
With the Ministry of Health releasing the Post Abortion Care guidelines in 2019 thereby providing healthcare providers a reference material and the necessary knowledge and skills to prevent post abortion deaths, more needs to be done for both genders.
For example, early education of the girl and boy child in reproductive health at the church/religious groups, school or community – without assuming that “they know these things” – will improve self-awareness and prevention.
Other contributors to early and unintended pregnancies could be linked to cultural beliefs and attitudes. Much as this will take time to change, journalism should persistently address them from the broader perspective of community morals, norms and values.
In addition, media has a role to educate and inform the community, gradually, making the society more accommodative of “early mothers”.
Further, offering both genders equal opportunity in their needs for medical, health, legal and socio-economic care will meet them in the middle, averting negative mental effects during this fragile stage in their life.
Lastly, media will be instrumental in influencing review of current legal structures, with interest for the female, male and the child welfare. This will better position society to deal with abortion as a major problem, significantly reducing the numbers and deaths.
