Gabon: Abortions – Mostly Illegal, But in Demand

Some women take the decision because they cannot contemplate supporting another child. Others are too young to take care of even one. Whatever their reasons, a growing number of Gabonese girls and women are choosing to have illegal abortions – often with disastrous consequences. According to statistics from the Ministry of Health, clandestine abortions are thought to have accounted for 28.8 percent of all abortions that took place last year – up from 25 percent in 2003, and 16 percent in 2001. A study conducted in 2003 indicated that 15 percent of women had had at least one abortion.