Consequences of induced abortion among women in the Igembe Community of Eastern Kenya
Abstract
This study aimed at determining the consequences of induced abortion among women in the Igembe community of Eastern Kenya. Abortion is highly restricted in Kenya and is regulated by the supreme law as captured in the 2010 constitution. However, it has been noted that abortion was a common practice among the Igembe and was regulated by cultural norms. This study was exploratory and purposively sampled the informants in the community who were then subjected to qualitative methods of data collection which included case narratives, in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. The interviews were administered in the Ki-embe dialect – which is the Kimeru dialect of Igembe people. In addition, Kiswahili and English were used where appropriate based on the language the specific informants were comfortable with. The findings established there were several consequences of induced abortion and that children born after a failed induced abortion led to the emergence of an Igembe clan called ‘nkomo’, Also, many women today regard pregnancy as a personal affair that she can decide at will whether to keep it to term or terminate it if she feels unprepared to bring up the child.
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Copyright (c) 2023 Charity Kinya Koronya, Charles Owuor Olungah, George Odipo
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