FACTS WOMEN SHOULD KNOW ABOUT ABORTION IN INDIA
The Medica termination of pregnancy act was introduced in 1971. Almost 50 years of the incorporation of MTP act and the vindication of women’s right to abort, abortion still remains a hot debate and taboo in india.
According to the HMIS reports the total number of spontaneous/induced abortions that took place in india in 2016-17 was 970436, in 2015-16 was 901781, in 2014-15 was 901839 and in 2013-14 was 790587.
“Ten women reportedly die due to unsafe abortions every day in india.”
- It is legal in india
since 1971. the medical termination of pregnancy act, 1971 is
responsible for the legalisation of abortion. However, legally, it
can only be performed up to 20 weeks of conception.
- Abortion can be performed only under four conditions
- If continuation of the pregnancy poses any risks to the life of the mother or to her physical or mental health
- If the foetus has any severe abnormalities
- If pregnancy occurred as a result of failure of contraception (but this is only applicable to married women)
- If pregnancy is a result of sexual assault or rape
- You can’t chose to abort; Only the doctor gets to decide
it is solely at the
discretion of the doctor that a woman may or may not undergo
abortion. If the abortion is to take place within the first
trimester (up to 12 weeks of conception), the woman only needs one
doctor to sign off. However, if she exceeds the 12-week bar (from 12
to 20 weeks ), she needs two doctors to sign-off.
- If you are an adult, you do not need your family of
husbands’s consent the MTP
act gives adult women the autonomy to decide for themselves. A
doctor cannot ask for anybody’s concent except for the mother’s.
If you are a minor you need the consent of guardian.
