The provider seemed to be recommending abstinence. Another participant, however, said 

that she was given extensive counseling at a private clinic after her second abortion with the 

same provider at age 17. 

He told me not to come for an abortion again and that if I was pregnant I should give 

birth. . . He told me to take care of myself and that there was a lot of contraceptives 

available over the counter. He also told me about condoms and that I should insist on 

condoms, and if the boy would not allow it then I should leave him and go home. He also 

told me that if I ever got pregnant again, I should not use traditional medicine to abort it 

because it could be fatal. So I thanked him for his advice. [Karen] 

If the girls' reports are any indication, postabortion counseling does not appear to be 

practiced by either the hospital or the clinic staff, although some medical personnel provided 

advice to the girls who came for repeat abortions. 

6.2.7  Incomplete Plans and Failed Attempts to Obtain Clinic Abortions 

Four participants described incomplete plans or failed attempts to have a clinic abortion. 

In one case, a schoolgirl reported being too afraid to go through with the abortion. 

When we got to the gate I told him I was afraid that I was going to die. . . I told him [the 

doctor] that I was afraid and that I would not go through with it. 

Two participants who had each had at least two abortions mentioned that they would not 

go to the hospital for an abortion because the hospital staff would not do the abortions.  Rachel 

said that on her fifth pregnancy, at the age of 22, she went to the hospital for a second abortion.  

They told me at [hospital] they no longer do abortions, so I should protect myself with 

condoms. Let me tell you a story. You see, my last child, I wanted to abort it. But when I 

went to [hospital], the nurses advised against it and told me that I had had too many 

abortions and this last one could kill me. That did not deter me. I insisted I wanted it, 

then the doctor mentioned the charge for doing the abortion. I didn't have that much 

money. When I came home, the little money I had got lost. I didn't want to tell my 

husband I wanted to have an abortion, so I could not ask for money. So after a while, I 

went back to [the hospital] and the midwives. . . encouraged me to have the baby. I 

listened and had the last child and it happened to be a girl. My other two children were 

boys. So I thank God for her life. [Rachel] 

For her sixth pregnancy, this same participant found an alternative location to obtain an 

abortion:  a private clinic. 

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