An Amnesty International report titled “The total abortion ban in Nicaragua: Women’s lives and health endangered, medical professionals criminalised”, sheds a frightening light on the implications of the Nicaraguan penal code which began being enforced in July 2008.

The penal code stipulates mandatory prison terms for women, girls and health professionals who participate in the termination of a pregnancy. These mandatory sentences are enforced regardless of the circumstances and has removed the individuals right to choose medical treatment, whilst also tying the hands of medical practioners. A girl or woman who is the victim of rape or incest, suffers miscarriage or has a life threatening illness such as cancer, HIV/AIDS, malaria, gestational or cardiac emergencies, must either die or go to prison.

As a result the numbers of both suicides amongst girls and women, and maternal deaths have risen. Figures are not officially recorded so it’s impossible to know the exact number of people who have fallen victim to this disgraceful law.

Our services include: contraception, unplanned pregnancy counselling on all pregnancy options, information about abortion clinics in England, contraception, sexually transmitted infection screening, cervical smears, well woman and well man health screening and vasectomy.

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In the year 1995 to 2003, the studies conducted by Guttmacher Institute reveals the big drop in the cases of abortion because of the massive use of contraceptives in most countries. Nevertheless, this progress does not affect everyone since even if the number of abortion dropped significantly, the amount of unsafe abortions still remain the same especially among developing countries.

The drop in abortion cases comes despite the fact that there had been 19 countries that liberalize their abortion law as of the year 1997. Despite that the decision of the country to legalize abortion has nothing to do with the drop of the rate; this has a big impact on how women can contact safe abortion care.

In places where abortion is restricted, women would opt for traditional health provider instead of competent abortion clinic thus leading to 70,000 deaths and 5 million hospitalizations per year as Guttmacher reports. The report suggests the need to expand access to modern contraceptive and to right family planning. It further stresses the need to expand the access to legal abortion and to guarantee that safe and legal abortion examinations are accessible among women. Lastly, Guttmacher report proposes the need to improve coverage and the quality of post-abortion care.

The report was released the day before The Department of International Development or the DFID of United Kingdom offered a new policy in terms of abortion which suggests that it is a right of every woman and it is necessary during this critical time. The DFID further affirms that it will support programs that will make abortion safe and it will try its very best to clear out the cloud of confusion among countries with restrictive laws and high rate of abortion-related deaths. To note, their policy is the complete opposite of that in United States that prevents foreign assistance from being used to help promote safe abortion care despite the fact that it is officially permitted.

Abortion is available free if you are referred through the NHS. Abortion is also available through private abortion clinics and hospitals where you will have to pay.

If a woman wanted to arrange an abortion with a private abortion clinic herself, though, she would pay between £445 and £1200. As earlier abortions are simpler to perform, the earlier they take place the less expensive they are