Sierra Leone debates decriminalizing abortion as women and girls endanger their lives

RandyMarch 30, 2025

When she got pregnant at 16, Fatou Esther Jusu was terrified that it would derail her future.

Abortion is illegal in Sierra Leone. Fearing judgment from her family, she took friends’ advice and bought misoprostol, a drug whose uses include abortion, from a local pharmacy. It didn’t work. Desperate, she tried again and miscarried.

Abortion Rights Healthcare International Reproductive rights Sierra Leone

By Randy