Medico-Juris Insight of Abortion in India:The Choice between Conscience & Consciousness

INTRODUCTION

India is a country which constitutes mainly of an ecclesiastical society. India has one of Asia’s most liberal abortion laws under the The Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act of 1971. Abortion has been legal for more than 40 years in India, still, about 3 unsafe abortions take place for every 2 safe procedures here.Unsafe abortions are killing a woman every 2 hours in India.

OBJECTIVES

1) Identify the cause of high rate of unsafe abortion in India despite the liberalization of laws regulating abortion way back in 1971.

2) Discuss the extent of clashes between religious obligations & legal authorization of Indian women regarding decision to abort.

METHODOLOGY

We conducted a prospective cohort study of 1472 women attending Obs & Gynae Out Patients Department in a Govt Health Facility in Aligarh, UP, India. Women of Reproductive age group (15-49 yrs) who underwent at least 1 abortion from Sept 2013 to Feb 2014 were eligible for the study & completed interview twice.

RESULTS

77% of women were unaware of the rights conferred upon them by the MTP Act of 1971. 59% of women had a feeling of sin & guilt within them & underwent unsafe abortion.Financial constraints was found to be a contributory factor.

DISCUSSION

In a muddled up nation of >1 billion people, just the implementation of progressive laws does not guarantee safe abortion. Unawareness of their rights & the social stigma of being sinful, makes women adopt unsafe methods. There arises a need to inculcate such progressive laws in the minds of its people.