Know Your Rights

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  SOUTH AFRICA : English, isiZulu

English: 

Know your rights!

Don’t feel bad, you have a right to get an abortion if you want and/or need one!

Access to safe abortion services is a human right. 

Under international human rights law, everyone has a right to life, a right to health, and a right to be free from violence, discrimination, and torture or cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment.

Human rights law clearly spells out that decisions about your body are yours alone – this is what is known as bodily autonomy.

Forcing someone to carry an unwanted pregnancy, or forcing them to seek out an unsafe abortion, is a violation of their human rights, including the rights to privacy and bodily autonomy. 

See what the South African law says about abortion below. 

Did you know?

1. The Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Act No. 92 of      1996 gives all women the right to a free abortion      (termination of pregnancy) at a government hospital or clinic during the      first 12 weeks of pregnancy.
2. The Act further states that the procedure can also be performed from      the 13th week up to the 20th week of the pregnancy if the medical practitioner,      after consultation with the pregnant woman, believes that: 

- The continued pregnancy poses a risk of injury to the woman’s physical or mental health;

- That there is a substantial risk that the foetus would suffer from a severe physical or mental abnormality;

- If the pregnancy resulted from rape or incest; or

- If the continued pregnancy would significantly affect the social or economic circumstances of the woman.

1. Abortions can also take place after the 20th week of pregnancy if a      medical practitioner, after consultation with a registered midwife,      believes that the continued pregnancy:

- would endanger the woman’s life;

- Would result in a severe malformation of the foetus; or

- Would pose a risk of injury to the foetus.

1. Women of all ages have the right to terminate a pregnancy and should      never be denied the service because of their age.
2. If a practitioner refuses to provide an abortion based on their      personal beliefs, they must refer you to a colleauge or facility that can      provide the service. 

isiZulu

Yazi amalungelo akho!

Ungaphatheki kabi, unelungelo okukhipha isisu ma uthanda noma kunesidingo!

Kuyilungelo lomuntu ukufinyelela amasevisi aphephile okuhushula izisu.

Ngaphansi komthetho wamazwe ngamazwe wamalungelo abantu, wonke umuntu unelungelo lokuphila, ilungelo lempilo, kanye nelungelo lokuvikelwa endaweni ezino dlame, ekubandlululweni, ekuhlushweni noma ekuphathweni ngonya, okungenabuntu nokululaza.

Umthetho wamalungelo abantu ukucacisa ngokusobala ukuthi izinqumo ngomzimba wakho zingezakho wedwa - lokhu okwaziwa ngokuthi ukuzimela ngokomzimba.

Ukuphoqa umuntu ukuthi akhulelwe engafuni, noma ukumphoqa ukuthi akhiphe isisu ngendlela engaphephile, kuwukwephula amalungelo akhe obuntu, okuhlanganisa namalungelo akhe okuba nemfihlo kanye nokuzimela ngokomzimba.

Nanku okushiwo umthetho waseNingizimu Afrika mayelana nokuhushulwa kwezisu ngezansi.

Bewazi na?

1. The Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Act No. 92 of 1996 inikeza bonke abesifazane ilungelo lokukhipha izisu mahhala (ukuhushulwa kwezisu) esibhedlela sikahulumeni noma emtholampilo kumasonto okuqala alishumi nambili okukhulelwa.

2. Umthetho uphinde uthi inqubo ingenziwa futhi kusukela emavikini alishumi nantathu kuya emavikini angamashumi amabili okukhulelwa uma udokotela, ngemva kokubonisana nowesifazane okhulelwe, ekholelwa ukuthi:

- Ukukhulelwa okuqhubekayo kubangela ingozi yokulimala ngokomzimba noma ngokwengqondo yowesifazane;

-  Ukuthi kunengozi enkulu yokuthi ingane ingaphatheka kabi ngokomzimba noma ngokwengqondo;

- Uma owesifazane ekhulelwe emva kokudlwengulwa noma ukulala nesihlobo

- Uma ukukhulelwa okuqhubekayo kuzothinta kakhulu isimo zezenhlalakahle noma zezomnotho zowesifazane.

3. Ukukhishwa kwesisu kungase futhi kwenzeke ngemva kwamasonto angamashumi amabili okukhulelwa uma udokotela, ngemva kokubonisana nombelethisi obhalisiwe, ekholelwa ukuthi ukukhulelwa okuqhubekayo:

- kungabeka impilo yowesifazane engozini;

- Kungabangela ukukhubazeka okukhulu kwi ngane

- Kungadala ingozi yokulimala kwingane

4. Abesifazane bonke banelungelo lokukhipha isisu futhi akufanele banqatshelwe ngenxa yeminyaka yabo.

5. Uma udokotela enqaba ukuhushula isisu ngokusekelwe yinkolo yakhe, kufanele akudlulisele kosebenzisana naye noma isikhungo esingawenza lomsebenzi.