Maternal Mortality and Kenya

As most people in the pro-life world know, the Center for Reproductive Rights released a report yesterday stating that the maternal mortality rate in Kenya is on the rise because of the fact that abortion is illegal. They have stated that 44% of deaths are from abortion, and have specified that those deaths were from illegal abortion, not the procedure which is legal in cases for the life of the mother. I would argue that those deaths are from both. The argument from the Center for Reproductive Rights just sounds silly to me, so I wrote them this letter:

To Whom it May Concern,

Maternal mortality in Kenya is not from illegal abortion. The deaths are from a lack of medical technology, nutrition, and cleaner water. Kenya just does not have the resources we have here in the U.S.

Knowing that women die from abortion even in developed nations due to uterine perforations, cervical lacerations, endometriosis, infection, excessive bleeding, embolism, ripping of the uterus, anesthesia complications, convulsions, hemorrhage, cervical injury, toxic shock, etc., and the fact that Kenya doesn't have the resources to deal with all of these complications - which are much more common than you would think - shows that Kenya, or any other developing nation for that matter, does not need abortion, they need better medical resources before any other procedure is made legal there. Legal does not mean safe. If abortion were more prevalent in Kenya, more women would die, and that is a fact. The reasons pregnant women and abortive women die in Kenya are the same reasons everyone else dies in that country - a lack of decent medical care, nutrition, and clean water.

An article from the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, "Reducing Maternal Mortality in Developing Countries", says just that: http://wilsoncenter.org/index.cfm?topic_id=116811&fuseaction=topics.event_summary&event_id=394874

Also, contrary to popular belief, legalizing abortion does not lead to less maternal deaths. In fact, it is just the opposite. Those countries in which abortion is illegal have a lower maternal mortality rate than do those where it is legal. Cases in point: Abortion is illegal in Ireland, but it has the lowest maternal mortality rate in the world. In Africa, the country with the lowest maternal mortality rate is Mauritius, a country without abortion, while the country with the highest rate is in Ethiopia, a country with some of least restrictive laws on abortion. Similarly, in South East Asia, the country with the lowest maternal mortality rate is Sri Lanka, the country with the world's most restrictive abortion laws, and the highest maternal mortality rate is Nepal, with the least restrictive laws in the area. In the case of Sri Lanka, a report from The Hindustan Times on January 15, 2009 states, "UNICEF in its latest 'State of the World's Children' report said Sri Lanka has managed 'to halve its maternal mortality rate every six to 11 years by adopting sound strategies, allocating sufficient resources, providing free healthcare and making education for all a priority'." They don't need to legalize abortion to do that. I wouldn't say that Nepal's maternal mortality rate dropped because abortion became legal. I would say that it dropped because people are starting to see the devastation in that country, so they are starting to go over there to provide goods and services in that country, helping improve the health of the Nepali people, including maternal health. I would not attribute a drop in maternal mortality to abortion.

In South America, the highest maternal mortality rate is in Guyana, a country without restrictions on abortion. The country with the lowest maternal mortality rate in South America is Chile, a country in which abortion is illegal. Furthermore, in 1960, Chile's maternal mortality rate was 275 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births.The country tightened it's abortion laws in the late 1980s, and, as of WHO's 2005 report, have 16 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births.

Maternal mortality dropped significantly in the U.S. following the mainstreaming of antivirals such as Penicillin. It was not due to legal abortion at all. In fact, maternal mortality has actually risen in the U.S. in the past couple of decades.

Truthfully, maternal mortality is measured by a ratio showing how many pregnant women die per 100,000 live births. If a woman doesn't give birth, she is not counted among those live births. However, when a woman dies because of an abortion, whether legal or illegal, since she was known to be pregnant while having the procedure, she is counted among the deaths. So saying that a number per 100,000 live births drops when a woman doesn't give birth is just not true, and cannot be true. However, that number can rise.

Therefore, saying that legal abortion will lower maternal mortality is a complete, and utter fabrication.

If you want to promote health and well being in Kenya, build hospitals and wells, educate doctors in the area, educate the people of Kenya so that they know that going to someone who is not a doctor for a medical procedure, especially for one like abortion, will hurt them severely, and even kill them. Educate them on Natural Family Planning so that they don't have to get an abortion.

Please stop pushing abortion on Kenya and every other country in the world, and please stop using these scare tactics against everyone in the world. We're not stupid. Some may be more gullible than others, but it's still an insult to the intelligence of everyone, including your company, to promote such an idea.

Sincerely,
Amy Roy

I haven't sent the letter yet, but I'm thinking about it. I don't need them knowing my e-mail address. I already get unsolicited e-mails from Barbara Boxer, I don't need any pro-abort adding me to their mailing list.

Upon further investigation, I found a report from the East African Medical Journal from September 2001 (Rogo KO, Aloo-Obunga C, Ombaka C, Oguttu M, Orero S, Oyoo C, Odera J. "Maternal mortality in Kenya: the state of health facilities in a rural district". East Afr Med J. 2001 Sep;78(9):468-72.) that says basically the same thing: Kenya's maternal mortality rate and abortion deaths are not from illegal abortion so much as they are from a lack of medical care, nutrition, and clean water. The summary of the report, which can be found here, says:

BACKGROUND: This study was formulated from the premise that the known causes of maternal mortality, namely haemorrhage, sepsis, obstructed labour and abortion belie the more fundamental development problems that influence it, such as the state of local medical services, quality of care and the facilities' ability to respond to reproductive health emergencies. OBJECTIVE: To document some of the underlying problems and how they were found to influence maternal mortality in Kenya, with specific reference to a rural district. DESIGN: The researchers used the Prevention of Maternal Mortality Network (PMMN) methodology/study design to assess the current state of health facilities, their level of function, and factors influencing their utilisation. Both qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection tools were used. SETTING: Siaya District in the western region of Kenya. Data were collected from thirty facilities, which provide obstetric care in the district. PARTICIPANTS: Data were collected by nurse/midwives, nursing school tutors and social scientists with experience in qualitative research methods. Respondents included health service providers and managers at the 30 health facilities. Qualitative data were obtained through focus group discussions with health facility staff as well as community members. RESULTS: All the thirty facilities studied, were grossly wanting in terms of staffing, equipment, essential drugs and supplies. Both quality of care and record keeping were well below acceptable standards. CONCLUSIONS: The study findings are a sad but a fair reflection of our situation not only in Kenya but also in sub-Saharan Africa ten years after the declaration of the Safe Motherhood Initiative (SMI). The results indicate a predictable, widening gap in basic service provision that must be urgently bridged as a prerequisite to any serious and meaningful approaches to reducing maternal mortality in Africa.

Being that this backs up my claim that the Center for Reproductive Rights is using false scare tactics, do you think we pro-lifers can sue them for leading the people astray under false pretenses?

On Stigmatizing By Twittering

Recently I've been seeing on Twitter these people saying things like:

"There's no cure 4 sexually transmitted viral diseases HIV & herpes. How's adultry working 4 U? #tcot #abstinence"

"one-fourth of sexually active teens have been infected with an #STI. How's sexual perversion working 4 U? #tcot #abstinence"

"Two-thirds of all #STDs occur in people who are 25 years of age or younger. How's fornication working 4 U? #tcot #abstinence"

It's all well and good to promote abstinence. However, there is one HUGE problem with these tweets: Not all of us who have an STD is a pervert, adulterer or adultress, or fornicator. These tweets promote that idea, and lead to stigma against those of us who, through no fault of our own, have gotten an STD.

When I was three, I used a restroom at Disneyland, and, being a kid, put my hands on my face. I did not understand that germs spread in public places, and especially in bathrooms. I ended up with Herpes Simplex 1, with lesions on my face, arms, and legs.

About a year ago, I must have put my fingers in my mouth and touched a cold sore before using the restroom. As a result, I ended up with Herpes Simplex 2.

I'm not a big fan of those who tell me that I must have done something wrong, and God is punishing me. I don't believe that. To hear you say that is like telling me that God doesn't love me. He does, I know He does. It just hurts to hear people telling me He doesn't. When I see people using these tweets, spreading these lies about me, and others like me, I get angry, I get upset, I get depressed, and I cry. I am not an adultress, a fornicator, or a pervert. I am a child of God, and I deserve to be treated as such.

So, for those of you who are tweeting these, PLEASE STOP. You're the same ones who promote not letting stigma get in the way of human life in cases of abortion and euthanasia. This is exactly the same thing. It is respect for every child of God, no matter what illness, disease, or imperfection we might have. There has been no punishment from God, but we are judged by others because you think that there is.

Please find another way to promote abstinence other than calling those of us with STDs names, and placing labels on us. It's not right, and it's not Christian. Cut. It. Out.