There are reports that nurses in Chiredzi are exposing women to serious health risks by terminating pregnancies in circumstances where they are not fully attended to.
Up to 90% of illegal abortions in Chiredzi are conducted by nurses who are working at government run hospitals.
The matter has been worsened by reports that police officers are also involved in human rights abuses by forcing juvenile se_x workers to have se_x with them for free.
This was said by se_x workers at Parliamentary Consultative Forum on health and se_xual reproduction in Chiredzi on Tuesday last week.
The committee came to Chiredzi after a resident Marko Shoko petitioned Parliament over rampant child prost_itution around Chigarapasi Beer Hall.
About 40 commercial se_x workers who attended the meeting said that their members have to terminate unwanted pregnancies from time to time and they are assisted by nurses from institutions around Chiredzi who charge $400.
“There are many causes of prostitution that push even minors into the profession. There are also circumstances beyond our control that result in unwanted pregnancies and hence illegal abortions. We are approached by nurses who charge us to terminate pregnancies. They are involved in over 90% of terminations here in Chiredzi. Some of our members have died from these illegal abortions because of lack of due care,” said Rosemary Chiguvi a thigh vendor.
