In a new sordid and gratuitous reality, young women in Nigeria are initially getting pregnant to gain weight and then go for an abortion.
An investigation published by the Punch Newspaper on Saturday reveals the grotesque act while painting the grimmer narratives of human desperation for vanity.
The believers of this practice, who are mostly “slim girls”, bank on the weight gains that come with pregnancy, believing that after the abortion, they would retain their new weight. The influence of boyfriends who demand robust body curves and breasts has also led to the spread of the practice.
In Delta State, the investigation reveals the experience of a widow whose daughter was advised by a corps member, her boyfriend, to do the harmful weight-changing practice, hinging it on the only justification to date her, who was slim. The daughter later died due to too much blood, the investigation reveals.
The report, which was carried out by Godfrey George, notes that women as young as 19 to 20 years old are often caught in the rugged web of weight-gaining exercises. But this is sometimes dangerous.
Eyewitnesses and experts painted their surreal experiences with the practice while highlighting a few complications leading to deaths or hospital admissions for days. Meanwhile, this practice is as old as Nigeria’s fourth republic since 1999.
A retired nurse who was simply referred to as “Iron Lady” recounted her experience, saying, “Our girls have been doing it. It is not new, but the truth is that many have gone down that path. I am a retired nurse from the Delta State Ministry of Health. I served here in Obiaruku for years before I was transferred.
“I first heard of this around 2006 —that girls would intentionally get pregnant if they were ‘too slim,’ and when they noticed they had started adding weight, they would terminate the pregnancy.
“Abortion comes with its complications, but one of the ‘side effects’ of abortion is that it can sometimes cause women to gain weight. However, I must stress that this doesn’t work for everyone, and it’s mostly unsafe in Nigeria because, to some extent, it’s illegal,” she added.
A medical doctor practising in Asaba, who requested anonymity, also confirmed that the practice was widespread in the area.
“From Warri to Sapele, Benin to Port Harcourt, and other parts of the South-South zone where my job has taken me, we’ve heard such stories in whispers. We’ve treated several complications after multiple abortions.
“There’s an obsession with the new body that these ladies achieve, so they’re willing to endure the painful process repeatedly to maintain it,” the internal medicine physician said.
“But it’s sheer foolishness because it doesn’t work for everyone—it’s like fetching water with a basket. I can’t even understand why women would subject themselves to such risks,” he added with a heavy sigh.
Read More on the investigation
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