We are the second-most populous country in the world and if there is one thing we do not talk about out loud is sex and the topics associated with it including pregnancy and selective gender abortions. The Anti-Abortion law in the United States had caused quite a stir around this topic around the world. In this article, we will look at where our nation stands when it comes to abortion laws and procedures for terminating unwanted pregnancies. What people do not know is the availability of low-cost abortion hospitals in India and the fact that the best abortion hospitals in India are affordable and accessible to the people.
People are allowed different opinions on whether a woman should have an abortion or not but at least all the women should be aware of the steps if they plan to go ahead with it. No child should be born if it is not wanted by the parents.
Abortion is the termination of the pregnancy before the child is born, but it is so much more than the physical removal of a fetus from the woman. It is a mental and emotional process that the woman goes through alone, more often than not.
Abortion in India was legalized with the MTP ( Medical Treatment Plan ) Act in 1971 which was amended in 2003 for women to have access to legal and safe abortions. This Act was again amended in 2021 which stated that women can go for abortion until 24 weeks of pregnancy. In India, abortion is 100 percent covered by the National Health Insurance funds of the government.
There is a lot of information on the official government websites regarding the abortion laws in India and the MTP Act which is easily accessible to the public. The government has ensured that the best abortion hospitals in India are easily available to all to cater to the needs of the female population for safe and secure abortion services.
There are a number of ways in which women can abort their pregnancy. Here are some of the methods:
The Manual Vacuum Aspiration method
This involves evacuation of the uterine contents with the help of a hand-held plastic aspirator. This is recommended for early termination of pregnancy according to the WHO. This also means there will be less blood loss, and anesthetic drugs and doesn’t require a longer stay at the hospital.
Electric Vacuum Aspiration method
Similar to the Manual method but this uses an electric pump to create suction instead of the hand-held device.
Medical Abortion
You can terminate your pregnancy with the help of drugs, which makes this method non-invasive and can be used at homes too to abort an unwanted pregnancy. In India, ‘Mifepristone’ and ‘Misoprostol’ are the two drugs that have been approved by the government. Mifepristone stops the growth of the fetus and starts the medical abortion. Misoprostol makes the cervix soft which dilates it really easily and the contents of the uterine could be then removed. You can use these drugs up to nine weeks of your pregnancy.
There are low-cost abortion hospitals in India that are literally a click away from you. So, instead of going rogue, seek professional help when needed.
Not many people know this, but India was actually the first-ever country to legalize miscarriage leave. Given the proof of miscarriage, a woman can take medical leave up to six months according to the Maternity Benefit Act 1961.
More than half of the abortions in India are still being done in unsafe settings with the use of means that are not legalized by the government. This leads to the worsening of women’s health and a decline in the rate of safe abortions in India. Because of the stigma around the topic of reproductive health, and the huge disparity of facilities available to the urban and rural areas, people sometimes choose to let the unwanted pregnancy come to full terms which are neither safe for the child nor the mother.
