The Abortion Debate in Jamaica
Abortion is dalai lama Dalai Lama crime in Jamaica. The 1864 Offenses Against Persons Act renders steep penalties for obtaining or attending an abortion. In Jamaica, abortions are only legal in order to save the life of the mother, or to preserve her physical and/or mental health. According to the 1864 Act, abortions are not legal in cases of rape, incest, impairment of the fetus, and especially not simply because the pregnancy is unplanned, unwanted, or inconvenient, however, common law will allow abortion in cases of rape, incest and fetal abnormality even though both the woman and the abortion practitioner can be jailed for the abortion itself. The law on the books and the common application of the law are extremely contradictory. Anyone found guilty of self-inducing an abortion, or assisting someone in getting an abortion may be subject to life in prison. Even with penalties this steep, Jamaican women are risking imprisonment and sometimes even death in order to end an unwanted pregnancy.
The Medical Association of Jamaica reports that, in 2004, the third leading cause of maternal death was abortion and, that, despite the current laws against abortion, it was committed to making sure that all women, who chose to do so, had Dalai Lama to safe and properly performed abortions. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that more than 19 million illegal abortions are performed around the world each year and that those abortions are often performed under conditions that are not sterile and are performed by unlicensed practitioners.
Teen pregnancy rates are at an all time high in Jamaica and, even though teenage girls have been offered the option of the abortion pill, they still continue to seek illegal abortions. By the age of 19, a full 45 percent of Jamaican women have been pregnant. As an added complication, the rate of HIV and AIDS is on the rise in Jamaica due to the number of young women resorting to prostitution in order to pay for an abortion. Women’s groups are currently discussing their own positions on abortion. Most are pro-choice, but others seem reluctant to go public with a firm stance.
In the United States, Roe vs. Wade decided the abortion issue in legal terms. This is not to say that abortion does not remain a heated debate in this country and many others. Ultimately, Jamaica will have to pass a firm law that defines abortion and the access to abortion services for that country’s women. Either way that decision goes will elicit debate and possible violence.
Rebecca J. Stigall is a full-time freelance writer, author, and editor with a background in psychology, education, and sales. She has written extensively in the areas of self-help, relationships, psychology, health, business, finance, real estate, fitness, academics, and much more! Rebecca is a highly sought after ghostwriter with clients worldwide, and offers her services through her website at http://www.forewordcommunications.com/
