Q
Dear Auntie Pearl, I really need some advice to help a friend of mine.
She’s 18 years old and she’s pregnant.
She doesn’t want to tell me who the father is, but I think I know. I also think something not nice happened. She doesn’t want to talk about it.
The thing is, she doesn’t want to keep this baby, she wants to terminate the pregnancy but now she needs an ID.
She doesn’t have an ID because she’s not from South Africa.
I think I know who the guy is who made her pregnant, and he is also having a child with another girl and he doesn’t care about her.
How do I help her? She doesn’t have anyone else, Auntie.
From Fly Girl.
A
Jinne Fly Girl, you really are a good friend, hey. Auntie salutes you.
It reminds auntie of something I read the other day: “Be the woman who fixes another woman’s crown, without telling the world that it was crooked.”
This friend of yours is going to need a lot of help getting through this as this is an incredibly difficult situation - not just the unplanned pregnancy, but also wanting to terminate it, and the stress of not being in her own country and al daai dinge, sjoe!
These emotional wounds will stay with her for the rest of her life, but Auntie can see that you are already a good friend and planning to stick with your friend through thick and thin.
Hoe gaan daai song nou weer? “That’s what friends are for”.
But jinne, she’s got herself into quite an arrige situation.
Yoh, this poor child must be paaping, but luckily she’s got you.
And auntie hopes she learns from her mistake, no more unprotected sex, and stay away from varkerige men who just want to use you then lose you.
Auntie skeem your tjommie’s best bet for help and for someone to point her in the right direction will be to contact the Marie Stopes Clinic.
Now angelface, this kwaai organisation is there to provide girls like your friend with proper sexual health care, no dangerous backstreet abortions here.
So give them a call on their toll-free number: 0800 11 77 85.
They have clinics in Atlantis, Bellville, Cape Town, Philippi and Parklands so see which one is closest to you and contact them.
They offer safe abortions because here in South Africa, terminating your pregnancy (having an abortion) in safe conditions is your legal right.
Don’t let anybody tell you or her otherwise, or make you feel uncomfortable or guilty about it.
Marie Stopes SA offers safe abortions by up to 20 weeks.
Have a look on their website, www.mariestopes.org.za, or give them a call on the number auntie mentioned earlier.
All the best, skattebol. And remember, things will get better for your friend.