The FINANCIAL — Georgia along with Armenia and Azerbaijan has the highest abortion rates in the world, according to the World Health Organization (WHO/Europe) and Alan Guttmacher Institute (latest 2007 survey) which says that the number of induced abortions on average for each woman during their lifetime is close to three.
UN data also estimates that there are nine abortions per 1,000 women of reproductive age (15-49 years) in Azerbaijan, 13.9 in Armenia and 19.1 in Georgia (latest 2004-2005).
Even worse looks the data collected in the Reproductive Health Surveys conducted in 1999 and 2005 by the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention which assigns 3.1 abortions per woman in Georgia (2005), the highest in the world. The true number of abortions could be several times the reported number – say local experts as abortions in clinics are mainly underreported or are done by private physicians.
As Archil Tedeluri, Director of gynaecological clinic Gynamed, told The FINANCIAL, the age of females having abortions has gone down drastically and now teenagers frequently take such inadmissible steps, directly killing unborn babies, a fact which is deplorable.
“Recently I’ve noticed more frequent cases of wilful abortions, or in other words deliberate termination of a pregnancy,” said Tedeluri.
“Abortion is a fundamental problem in Georgia as the country itself is in first place among post soviet countries and in Europe with abortion rates. To find out the exact number of abortions being done is very difficult as it’s underreported by clinics or doctors/patients, and none of them are willing to disclose such information. In terms of clinics, let’s say that out of 100 abortions they only report 20-30 cases, the latter being my subjective opinion” claimed Tedeluri.
“Abortion itself can have traumatic results for women, and often leads to fatal accidents. Peritonitis, endometriosis, infertility, sepsis and aggravated bleeding are associated with females who have had induced abortion,” Tedeluri told The FINANCIAL.
The abortion related maternal mortality rate is 2.1 (MOH, 2005). Official statistics on abortion-related mortality in Georgia are scarce; 37% of maternal deaths in 2004 were due to sepsis, including some that were abortion related (UNFPA, 2006).
Under the current law, abortion is allowed only during the first 12 weeks of gestation. Beyond this gestational age, abortion is available only on medical and selected socioeconomic grounds during the 1st and 2nd trimester.
As Tedeluri told us contraception is the best way to ensure a woman’s safe sex life.
“To avoid such tragic effects, women are encouraged to take contraception which costs 30-50 GEL on average per month. But in terms of long term contraception it may cost 20 GEL. First the patient goes to the doctor for analysis, undergoes screening and then appropriate hormones are prescribed for them. The latter is prepared in a special laboratory and is prescribed specifically to the patient. The hormones guarantee a healthy woman’s lifestyle without weight gain or excessive growth of body hair,” he said.
“When women don’t take proper contraception, they might later have to go to a dietician, and do epilation which costs them more in the end. Dieticians frequently prescribe strict diets which are inadmissible as they damage the hormonal balance in women. On the other hand if the hormonal state of the women is normal and if she’s eating fairly well then she will not gain weight and will still look good,” noted Tedeluri.
“In contrast to contraception, abortions cost 50-200 GEL on average. But in addition, there are special medicines which can be prescribed which cost 20-30 GEL.
Means of contraception can include physiological, which means from the first 7 days of the cycle till the last 7-8 days of one. There are also coils and tablets which can be prescribed as well.
As a minimum, women should have hormonal analysis done once every 6 months in order to remain healthy and beautiful. In Europe women take such inspections monthly. I usually prescribe contraception even after childbirth,” Tedeluri said.
“Attitudes towards contraception have changed among 16-27 year olds mainly, as they’ve become more cautious about the prevailing risks whilst older women don’t take them into account so much and therefore are at a higher risk of infection and death” stated Tedeluri.
“I have never done an abortion of any type and will not do so for any price, as I consider it direct killing of an unborn baby, and therefore unethical,” claimed Tedeluri.
Discussion about this post