The Medical Termination of pregnancy - India

Unsafe abortions are taking a huge toll on lives of women, as these victims opt for backroom procedures. Here, I am posting about MTP Act in India to inculcate awareness among the public about "how can abortion legally be done?".

It extends to all states in India except Jammu and Kashmir. It lays down,

• The conditions under which a pregnancy can be terminated.
• The persons who can perform such terminations.
• The place where such termination can be performed.

·       The conditions under which a pregnancy can be terminated:

There are five conditions that have been identified in the Act, where the pregnancy might endanger mother’s life or cause injury to mother’s physical or mental health, where there is a risk of child being born with serious handicaps, where the pregnancy is the result of rape, where actual or reasonably foreseeable environments could lead to risk of injury to the health of the mother and an unwanted pregnancy resulting from a failure of any contraceptive devices.

·       The persons who can perform abortion:

If the length of pregnancy doesn't exceed 12 weeks, a Registered Medical Practitioner having experience in gynecology and obstetrics can perform abortion but, if pregnancy exceeds 12 weeks and is not more than 20 weeks, the opinion of two Registered Medical Practitioners is necessary to terminate the pregnancy.

·       Where abortion can be done:

Termination of pregnancy can be made at a hospital maintained by government or a place approved for the purpose of this Act by government. It should be done in hospitals in strict confidence. 

The written consent of the guardian is necessary before performing abortion in women under 18 years of age, and in case of lunatics even if there are older than 18 years.