A relationship has turned sour between a man and his girlfriend because she is threatening to have an abortion.

According to the man, he noticed that she went to a pharmacy one evening and returned with a certain drug.

"When I questioned her about the drug she bought she told me very frankly that although she was living with me she did not want to have any children for me, " he said.

"She then told me she was about four weeks pregnant and I could not tell her what to do. I called her mother and told her what her daughter was saying, but her mother said her daughter was a big woman and had a right to make her own decision.

advice

"The mother said the only thing she would do is to advise her daughter to go to a doctor and have the pregnancy terminated because she did not want her to take any drugs on her own.

"I have not spoken to my girlfriend since then so I don't know whether she is pregnant or not. I was willing to marry her, but she says she does not want to marry me and has since packed her things and left my house".

It is an offence for a woman to administer drugs on her own to terminate her pregnancy.

Section 72 of the Offences against the Person Act states in part that "every woman, being with child who with intent to procure her own miscarriage, shall unlawfully administer to herself any poison or other noxious thing, or use any instrument or other means whatsoever with the like intent " shall be guilty of a felony and on being convicted can be imprisoned for life with or without hard labour. The section also states that if anyone assists in procuring the miscarriage, that person can also be jailed for life.