The President of the Intentional Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), Dr Jacqueline Sharpe, is calling for legalization of abortion in Kenya.

Dr Sharpe said women should have the right to control their fertility and be at liberty to decide whether to have babies or not.

Speaking at the Mombasa Youth Centre during a tour of the centre, Dr Sharpe said unless legalized, abortion would still continue but under crude and unhygienic conditions.

Legalising abortion in a country like Kenya, she said, would reduce the number of lives lost through unsafe methods.

"Countries where abortion is not legal should stop pretending that there are no unsafe abortions taking place," she said.

Sharpe urged countries to take the issue of abortion seriously, saying various circumstances may prompt a woman to get rid of a pregnancy.

However, she said countries on the move to legalise abortion should also offer sufficient contraceptive services to its people.
 
She commended members of Mombasa Youth Centre for enlightening youths on reproductive health, saying such knowledge forms the base for poverty eradication in developing countries.

Source: Standard 06/Jul/07