5.3.2.1 Delaying the First Birth 

One participant was living in a house with a madam when she became pregnant, and she 

feared that if her madam found out she would have to move back with her mother, whom she 

described as abusive. She explained this to her boyfriend, who was not able to provide her with 

shelter, and convinced him to pay for an abortion. 

I told the boy that I wanted to have an abortion because if the woman [madam] gets to 

know, she would not allow it. She did not even allow me to go out. . . she could have said 

she would not let me live with her again and she would send me to my mother, and I did 

not want that. . . Yes, I loved him, but he was not working and he had no money. . . he 

was not in a position to look after me. [Ruth] 

Opal who did not get agreement from her boyfriend to terminate her first pregnancy 

described her experience as follows: 

I cried and told the boy about it and he said I should continue the pregnancy, but I 

refused and aborted it at Mr. [X's] clinic. He decided to end the relationship with me, but 

not long after he came back to me and I got pregnant again and had my first child. 

[Opal] 

She stated her reasons for having the abortion as follows: 

I just wasn't ready to have too many children. I wanted to travel abroad to join my sister, 

so I didn't want to get pregnant. [Opal] 

Another girl was raped by a church member. She wanted an abortion, but she was afraid 

after a poor experience with a first abortion.  

I made up my mind to have an abortion, but then I was afraid because I had had an 

unpleasant experience before, so I decided against it, and I told him.  he will do that 

[perform the ceremony] in February  If I say I don't want him, my child will have no 

father, so I'm going to marry him. [Faith] 

She could not afford the hospital abortion at the time and attempted an inexpensive home 

remedy that did not work. 

 5.3.2.2 

Spacing 

Candace, who is currently pregnant by the same boy with whom she has a child, said that 

she tried to have an abortion, but was unsuccessful. 

When I told him, he asked me if I would give birth and I said yes, but later, after 

pondering over it, I told him that our first child was not yet grown so we should terminate 

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