Programme to educate young women

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Pretoria - The eThekwini Municipality is to kick off a programme aimed at ensuring that more educational programmes are made available for young women, especially when it comes to making choices about their bodies and reproductive health.

The programme, which includes the removal of misleading posters and pamphlets on pregnancy and termination throughout the city, will ensure the establishment of a task team to monitor progress and raise community awareness of bogus doctors conducting unsafe abortions.

Deputy City Manager of Health and Social Services Cluster, Dr Musa Gumede, said the problem of bogus doctors' posters is frequent in the Durban Central Business District and other places including Pinetown, Isipingo, Verulam and Tongaat. 

Gumede urged young women who choose abortion to ensure that they go to a legal clinic like Marie Stopes or government hospitals in order to have the abortion done legally instead of putting their lives at risk.

"Despite being illegal, misleading and preying on vulnerable women, the posters also contribute to litter in the affected areas. The municipality is working with SAPS and Metro Police to apprehend the culprits," Dr Gumede warned.

A bogus doctor, who is among many alleged perpetrators, was recently arrested in Durban after being caught performing an illegal abortion on a young woman.