Commentary

Silent killers

THE LEAD STORY in yesterday's STAR spoke about ulcer medication that some women are now using to abort unwanted pregnancies.

According to the story, the six pills can be had for $7,000 and just like that the unwanted child is gone.

Doctors claim, however, that the procedure is dangerous, as usually the entire pregnancy is not expelled and so the mothers-to-be have to go to the doctor to have what remains of the foetus removed.

These women fail to realise that they are putting themselves in unnecessary danger. If they could have become pregnant they could have also contracted a sexually transmitted disease.

These cases are proof that the advertising campaigns encouraging people to practice safer sex are not getting through to everyone.

A simple and cheaper solution to these unwanted pregnancies would be to use a contraceptive. In the past, probably contraceptive methods were few, but today women have the pill, injection, female condom, rhythm method and diaphragm.

However, some women still continue to ignore these methods and the greatest method of all, abstinence. If they cannot afford to deal with the results, do not play the game.

The authorities need to prosecute more of these women and probably they will then get the message that they ought to be more careful and responsible when having sex. Probably they will then use the options available to them before the situation becomes too much for them to handle.