Traditional Methods of Abortion are the concern of this article. This will expose the illegal ways people commit abortion in Nigeria.
Traditional Methods of Abortion
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Some may argue that abortion should not be done again based on the possibility of society raising an eyebrow at pregnant singles and single parents because of the colorful tag celebrities are attaching to single parenting, “baby mamas and baby daddies”.
But the fact remains that having a child out of wedlock is not yet fashionable or better put, a welcome development in our society and that explains why many women are taking to abortion even with the heavy legal implications of over fourteen years imprisonment.
Since abortion is constitutionally illegal except in the situation where it is what must be done to save the life of the pregnant woman.
Read Also: Process of Child Adoption in Nigeria
Traditional Methods of Abortion in Nigeria
1. The Use of Dry Gin
Dry Gin is an alcoholic drink sold legally in Nigeria. Women use a mixture of this drink and a medicine called the Alabukun powder to induce abortion.
Alabukun powder is used mainly as a pain reliever, anti-blood-clot medication, and treatment of myocardial infarction but when used in combination with a very strong drink such as the alcoholic dry gin, it causes the termination of pregnancies.
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2. Over-dosage of Medicines
Most of what is called abortion pills are not originally made to induce abortions. Most of the time, they are over-the-counter medicines gotten from medicine stores, or chemists and taken at an overdose to achieve the desired effects.
3. The Use of Lemon Juice
The use of lemon juice is a known crude method to induce abortion when mixed with a 7up soft drink and Alabukun powder. While it is scientifically proven that lime is a contraceptive for small mammals such as mice and rats but how lemon juice mixed with the 7up drink and Alabukun powder works has no scientific explanation at the moment.
4. Dilating the cervix, poking through it, and scraping the lining of the womb with sharp objects like hangers, surgical instruments, etc.
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This is a simulation of a medical process called Dilation and Curettage (D & C) and it is a surgery carried out on women when they have miscarriages to clean the uterus and prevent further health complications.
