The pregnancy that doesnʹt stay: The practice and perception of abortion by Ekiti Yoruba women

Ekiti Yoruba village women in southwest Nigeria make use of traditional and ‘patent’ medicines as abortifacients as well as D&Cs performed in urban centers to terminate unwanted pregnancies. This paper examines present day abortion practices and attitudes and relates them to traditional beliefs about conception, fetal development and infertility. These beliefs, along with factors of economy and access, help to explain the continued use of abortion as a form of birth control, despite the presence of other options. The paper concludes with a discussion of the current debate about legalizing abortion in Nigeria and a recommendation consonant with everyday village practice.