By Polyne Nabwire
Discussions about illegal abortions have been dominant on social media, within various social groups, in offices, and among civil society organizations (CSOs) focused on sexual and reproductive health. The conversations were sparked by a story entitled “Merchants of abortion” published by Daily Monitor on July 7, 2025, that gained significant traction online.
For advocates of reproductive health, this situation was a sobering reminder that these issues cannot be ignored. Many CSOs have since held press conferences to address these concerns and discuss how to prevent illegal abortions and the associated unwanted deaths.
However, we should reflect on why, in this day and age of empowerment, we still face such challenges and consider how we can improve the situation moving forward.
Every day, hundreds of young girls and women stealthily look for clinics, health personnel or anyone willing to offer them a service to end an unwanted pregnancy. Most of them, after unimaginable pain and losing a lot of blood, succeed, but with lifelong scars, while some never get another chance at life. Some bleed to their death, while others get infections which slowly eat away their lives.
The law in Uganda is clear but silent at the same time. Article 22 (2) of the 1995 Constitution prohibits the termination of an unborn child except as “authorised by law.” Yet, no substantial law or regulation clearly defines the circumstances under which abortion is permitted. This vagueness has created a legal limbo, one that continues to cost young Ugandan lives.
It is time, as a country, to ask ourselves difficult but necessary questions: Are our laws protecting life, or are they inadvertently causing death? Are we doing enough to safeguard the girl child?
According to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Right Here: Delivering SRHR under COVID-19 report, abortion complications are one of the main causes of maternal mortality and morbidity.
“Worldwide, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 67,000 women, mostly in developing countries, die each year from untreated or poorly treated abortion complications. Globally, an estimated 121 million unintended pregnancies occur each year (WHO 2020),” reads the report.
The report states that in Uganda, most abortions are the result of unintended pregnancies, which stand at 52%. Additionally, a quarter of these unintended pregnancies end in abortion each year.
In refugee settlements, the situation is even more alarming. A 2025 study published in Studies in Family Planning revealed that 25% of all pregnancies among refugee women ended in abortion, and 24% resulted in unplanned births. The truth is that abortion is already happening across the country, in both urban and rural settings. The real issue is how it is happening and to whom.
Too often, it is the teenager who was raped, a young woman abandoned by her partner, or a student who fears expulsion and shame, who finds herself alone and desperate. With little access to reproductive health services or credible information, these girls are left with one option: unsafe abortion.
The constitutional provision seeks to protect life. But without clear guidelines on when, how, and under what circumstances abortion may be accessed, the law instead fosters a culture of silence and fear for patients and medical professionals alike.
Health workers are often reluctant to provide even life-saving abortion services for fear of criminal prosecution. This legal uncertainty not only denies women care but also emboldens extortion, harassment, and black-market profiteering by quacks.
This is not about promoting abortion. It is about confronting a public health emergency that is claiming the lives of our girls while we look the other way.
We need clear, compassionate laws that do not criminalize women for making difficult decisions but instead offer them safety, counseling, and support. Laws that acknowledge the medical, social, and psychological realities women face every day. Laws that empower, rather than endanger.
No conversation about abortion is complete without addressing the root causes of unwanted pregnancies, especially among adolescents. Many Ugandan girls enter puberty without even the most basic understanding of their bodies, their rights, or their choices. Sex education, if delivered thoughtfully and age-appropriately, is not about encouraging immorality. It is about empowering young people with knowledge, teaching them responsibility, and giving them tools to protect themselves.
In 2024, the Afrobarometer survey showed that over 60% of Ugandans support sex education, and over 80% believe that pregnant students should be allowed to continue schooling. This is a sign that our society is ready for a deeper, more open conversation.
The burden of this issue cannot be left to girls, mothers, and reproductive health advocates alone. It is time for our lawmakers, cultural leaders, faith institutions, and health authorities to come together, not to argue about morality, but to act to save lives.
Let us acknowledge that Uganda’s restrictive abortion laws are no longer serving their purpose. Instead, they are fueling a deadly underground system that is hurting the very people we claim to protect. Let us push for law reform, not lawlessness.
The writer is head of programs at Family Medical Point and Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) advocate.
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