“We do abortions up until the eighth month,” said the voice over the phone. “Six months is R1 100, seven
months, R1 500.” Colorful posters adorn the walls of Grahamstown encouraging women to phone for a safe, pain free solution to an unwanted pregnancy.
“We do abortions up until the eighth month,” said the voice over the phone. “Six months is R1 100, seven
months, R1 500.” Colorful posters adorn the walls of Grahamstown encouraging women to phone for a safe, pain free solution to an unwanted pregnancy.
Saying that a six month pregnant friend needed an abortion, enquiries were made to street doctors as well
as to Settlers Hospital to find out how abortions work, how much they cost and how safe they are.
Bongiwe Moyake of Settlers, said that although the hospital does not book many patients in for abortions,
the option still exists and the operation is free of charge.
“The hospital abides by the Termination of Pregnancy (TOP) Act which allows women the choice to
abort their pregnancy until the twentieth week,” Moyake said.
The hospital respects the Act’s outlines and offers a safe environment with a doctor willing to conduct
abortions. Moyake feels that base on this information it may seem strange that a woman chooses to go
the street doctor route.
Scopex, a schedule two drug available over the counter for R24 is the method of choice for the street
doctor Grocott’s Mail interviewed. The drug, used to treat mild gastro- intestinal spasms, is given to the
mother in large quantities to abort the baby.
“I give the woman two pills of a high dose and in six hours time the woman will experience stomach cramps that will eventually cause the baby to come out as a bloody sac,” said the doctor.
Moyake points out one reason why women may choose to steer away from having the abortion done
in a hospital environment. “People like to treat things in a stigmatised manner and often don’t want to be
seen – until 1994 abortions were illegal.
Even though it is legal now, it can be seen as being unethical.” The street doctor who was willing
to pick my friend up from her home claimed that he had a waiting list and may have as many as four
or five patients a day to attend to.
“It’s dangerous and crazy – women should rather go to a proper clinic. It’s ludicrous!” said one local general practitioner who encourages women to get hold of Marie Stopes.
Marie Stopes, a government approved health clinic, has a mission to prevent unwanted births and afford
women the right to have children by choice, not chance. The clinic, which has branches across the country
offers abortions up to the twentieth week of pregnancy at a cost of R2 570.
“Women need to realise that by aborting a baby at six or seven months could result in the woman bleeding to death. That is not abortion, it’s murder,” warned another local general practitioner.
