The right to safe abortions

With the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act coming into effect in 1972, India conveyed a strong message that it cared for the health of pregnant women who wanted to safely terminate their pregnancies. Yet, even four decades later, many women are still unaware that abortion is legal. Even access to safe abortion centres is severely restricted, especially in rural areas. As a result, there is a great mismatch between the number of abortion seekers and MTP-certified providers and centres. According to a 2008 study in Contraception journal, nearly three-quarters of abortion-certified facilities are in the private sector. Add to this the stigma and discrimination that women seeking abortion face, and it is not surprising that a large number of women still turn to unskilled providers to perform abortions using unsafe methods in unsuitable settings. In 2010-11, over six lakh abortions took place in government-approved institutions. The number of unsafe abortions taking place every year is not known. According to a 2008 WHO report, about “two thirds of all abortions” that take place in the country are outside authorised health facilities. As a result, abortions cause an estimated eight per cent of maternal deaths in India — a majority of which are due to unsafe procedures — according to the Registrar General of India’s data.

Source: The Hindu
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