ስለ ደህንነቱ የተጠበቀ ፅንስ ማቋረጥ ማስረጃው ምን ይላል
ማስረጃው እንደሚያሳየው በሰለጠነ ሀኪም የሚሰጥ ደህንነቱ የተጠበቀ አገልግሎት አደጋው ዝቅተኛ ነው፣ ደህንነቱ ያልተጠበቀ ፅንስ ማቋረጥ ግን ጉዳት ያደርሳል። ሚስጥራዊ ምክር ለማግኘት የለቲና ሀኪም ጋር ተነጋገሪ።
This is a plain-language summary of what public health evidence generally says about abortion care. It describes the broad consensus and isn't personal medical advice. For your own situation, please speak with a Letena doctor.
Safe care is low-risk care
The mainstream public health consensus, reflected in guidance from the World Health Organization, is that abortion is a common health service and that, when it's provided by a trained person using recognised methods, it's a safe procedure with a low risk of complications. Safety depends on the setting and the method being appropriate to the stage of pregnancy and the person's health, and on care being available if a complication does arise. The WHO Abortion care guideline, second edition, published in 2022, recognises two main kinds of safe care, medical abortion using recommended medicines and procedural care such as vacuum aspiration, and notes that these carry lower rates of complications than older methods.
Unsafe abortion is a preventable source of harm
The evidence is equally clear that unsafe abortion, meaning a procedure carried out by an untrained person or using an unsafe method or in an unsafe environment, is a leading and largely preventable cause of harm to women's health worldwide. Complications from unsafe procedures can be serious. Public health research consistently finds that these harms fall hardest where safe, legal care is hard to reach, where information is limited, or where stigma keeps people from asking for help. In Ethiopia, the reform of the law in 2005 and the safe abortion guidelines that followed are widely credited with improving access to safe care and reducing harm from unsafe abortion.
Access and information reduce harm
A well-established finding across the literature is that harm goes down when accurate information, trained providers, and confidential services are within reach. When people can learn what safe care is and where to find it, and can ask questions without fear of judgement, they are far more likely to reach safe care rather than turn to dangerous alternatives. Restricting information doesn't reduce the number of people who seek to end a pregnancy, it mainly shifts them toward less safe routes. The WHO Abortion care guideline of 2022 reflects this consensus across its clinical, service delivery, and legal and policy recommendations.
Post-abortion care matters
Research also supports the value of post-abortion care. Prompt treatment of any complications, together with emotional support and, where wanted, contraception counselling, improves recovery and helps prevent repeat unintended pregnancy. Post-abortion care is recommended regardless of the circumstances of the abortion or miscarriage. The WHO Abortion care guideline of 2022 sets out its components, which include treatment of complications, information on recovery and warning signs, and contraception offered at the point of care for those who want it.
In Ethiopia
Abortion in Ethiopia is permitted under specific legal conditions, set out in Article 551 of the Ethiopian Criminal Code of 2005. These are pregnancy from rape or incest, risk to the life or health of the woman or the child, a serious and incurable disability in the child, and the woman being unable to bring up the child because of a physical or mental disability or because she is a minor. Care is also allowed in an emergency with grave and immediate danger. The Federal Ministry of Health has issued Technical and Procedural Guidelines for Safe Abortion Services to guide how this care is delivered. The public health aim is to make safe, legal care and confidential post-abortion care reachable for those who are eligible.
Sources
- World Health Organization, Abortion care guideline, second edition, 2022.
- Criminal Code of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, 2005 (Proclamation No. 414/2004), Articles 551 to 552.
- Federal Ministry of Health of Ethiopia, Technical and Procedural Guidelines for Safe Abortion Services in Ethiopia.
The evidence points to one clear thing: accurate information and access to trained, confidential care keep people safer. If you want to understand what any of this means for you, a Letena doctor can talk with you in private. It's free, and you'll usually hear back within a few hours. You can reach our medical team on WhatsApp at https://wa.me/251908182838, anonymously on Telegram at https://t.me/LetenaEthBot, or in writing at https://letena.letena.et/ask/.