The Big Picture Teen serial abortions after sex for airtime

FROM April 1 last year to March 31 this year about 12000 abortions were performed in the Eastern Cape. This translates to 1000 a month, 50 a day or one every 10 minutes. Most of these abortions were performed on teenagers between the ages of 12 and 18. The Herald reporter Estelle Ellis spent five months speaking to doctors, nurses, community workers and teenagers to understand the reasons behind these shocking statistics

The Big Picture Fifteen years on, stigma remains - along with secrecy, trauma

FIFTEEN years after abortion was legalised in South Africa, the stigma remains.

The Big Picture A tale of two nurses, two sides

No matter what your view on abortion, there are people on both sides of the divide who go the extra mile to help those in need. Estelle Ellis speaks to two unsung heroes, doing very different types of work in the same field

The Big Picture Right given to women being misused by kids

Journalist Estelle Ellis provides a personal account of her investigation in to the world of illegal abortions in the East Cape

Teen Pregnancy Young teens no longer afraid of HIV

Sitting in a circle, some with infants on their laps, some with barely visible baby-bumps, others already heavily pregnant, the small group of teenagers aged between 15 and 18 talk openly about their circumstances. ESTELLE ELLIS examines the reasons why teenagers get pregnant and how they feel about becoming mothers or aborting their babies

The Big Picture Abandoned babies get new start

THE babies at the AAA Safehouse in Westering come through the front door in different ways.

Teen Pregnancy A tale of three pregnant teenagers

Three teenagers - from Kwazakhele, Humansdorp and Jeffreys Bay - tell Estelle Ellis how they dealt with their unplanned pregnancies

Illegal Abortions Heartache as ‘avoidable cause of death’ on rise

SHE came to Dora Nginza Hospital in the morning. Seventeen years old, bleeding uncontrollably...

Illegal Abortions More state facilities needed

MORE government facilities need to start offering second-trimester abortions if South Africa hopes to stem the tide of deaths related to backstreet abortions, says PE Hospital Complex’s Obstetrics and Gynaecology head, Dr Mfundo Mabenge.

Illegal Abortions No to backstreet clinics’ posters

IN Port Elizabeth, illegal abortionists advertise their services for “safe, painfree abortions” on almost every streetlamp, corner and dustbin.