Elders in Jeme-Anigor, an agrarian community in Aniocha South Local Government Area of Delta State are confused as to what to do about a booming sex trade, abortion and other illicit sex acts involving?? teenage girls.
LEADERSHIP learnt but could not confirm that before now, abortion was an accepted norm in the community as a woman was certified fit for marriage by the number of times she had procured abortion.
Some of the girls interviewed by our correspondent who visited the community recently, confirmed that abortion was a common practice and added that it was also set as a condition for marriage to ascertain that the girl was fertile.
A senior citizen who gave his name as Ogbueshi Martins Elechi, disclosed that with the nature of their means of livelihood, it was therefore advisable for women to use abortion as yardstick for assessing the fertility of a girl.
Reliable sources confirmed that sexual promiscuity including infidelity did not mean anything to the women especially the? girls who solicit for sex to test their fecundity.
One Tochi (surname removed) who had a successful abortion few months back, said that in the community a girl is known by the number of abortions she had successfully carried out.
She said that,“I am now sure that I can get pregnant for anyone who wants to marry me in this village. If a girl hasn’t been pregnant before marriage, she is seen as? barren and as such people may not recommend her to anyone.
“But when a girl procures abortion, even the parents will feel good about the fertility status of their daughter. It has remained a practice that has come to stay.”