Why women want abortion?
If one goes by Nancy Meyers’s Hollywood blockbuster flick – What Women Want – there is a lot that the Government of India can learn about.
The day would not be so far when one can ask – why women want abortion. But if you ask the same question to the Government – the answer in all probability – failure of any contraceptive device or method. Because it is same answer or reason why most women want abortion, when asked why they want to.
According to the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment Act), 2003, there are six categories or reasons for termination of an unborn child viz: a. danger to life of the pregnant woman; b. grave injury to the physical health of the pregnant woman; c. grave injury to the mental health of the pregnant woman; d. pregnancy caused by rape; e. substantial risk that if the child was born, it would suffer from such physical or mental abnormalities as to be seriously handicapped; and f. failure of any contraceptive device or method.
Of the 39,384 cases of abortion being reported in Delhi during the year 2008-2009, almost half of them (women) are diagnosed with the given category – failure of any contraceptive device or method and followed by ‘ danger to life of the pregnant woman.
A study conducted by Indian Council of Medical Research, found that 19 per cent of the 1.9 million teenage abortions that take place every year in developing countries happen in India.
Of the approximately 3,61,000 teenage abortions that take place in India every year, around one lakh happen in the urban towns of Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore. And the national Capital contributes to half of that figure.
Though there are no specific figures of abortion cases among the teenager, top abortionists in the city say that at least 4,200+ teenage abortions take place in the capital every month. That’s 50,000 every year.
Also if one looks at the data given the Family Welfare Department (FWD), Government of Delhi, abortion between the ages of 20 – 30 has the maximum number of such cases.
The Law Commission of India, in its one recommendation suggested that the Government of India should bring a suitable change in the law so as to prohibit the marriage of children below the age of 18. The marriageable age, at present, of girls is 18 while the same for boys is 21, according to the Hindu Marriage Act. If the Government accepts the report and changes the rules accordingly, for the first time in India’s history, a child marriage involving a bride or groom below the age of 16 will be illegal.
Now, if we look at the statistic datas prepared by the FWD, Delhi Government, there is no distinguish case whether it would be a rightful age to marry or sex, if one goes to the reports of abortion cases.
Having said that the classification of ages for abortion is divided between the ages of: below 15, age between 15-19, 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44 and above 44. But, by the given classification of data, the highest cases of abortion in Delhi occurred in the ages between 25-29 and followed by 20-24. Which means, even though there is a permissible ages for one to marry or abortion, there is no distinction whether it is young women who just married or college going students or any other workingwomen.
An official of the FWD, Delhi Government, says that abortion among the teenage (read under 18), is having one of the highest cases in the city, but most of these teenagers go to quacks because if they are below 18 years of age any registered abortion clinic would ask for a guardian’s consent. Quacks won’t question them at all.
According to UNICEF’s “State of the World’s Children-2009” report, 47 per cent of India's women aged 20–24 were married before the legal age of 18, with 56 per cent in rural areas. The report also showed that 40 per cent of the world's child marriages occur in India.
Now if you look at the data comparatively with the year between 2007-2008, which stood at 35,981, the abortion cases are also increased sharply. And of the nine districts of Delhi, West district has the maximum number of abortion cases, having 883 cases reported in July and 814 in August in this year alone and East district has the least number of such cases, having 49 and 109 in July and August respectively.
Dr Uvashi Jha, director, Obstetrics and Gyaecology Department, Max Healthcare, says that although the number of abortion cases comparatively similar among the married women and college going students, which is around 10 cases every month in the hospital, these girls are rather brazen attitude towards the pregnancy. She says that there is no fear or regret seen on their faces. But for the married women the majority of abortions are sought for personal reasons such as they do not have the financial resources to bring up a child or they are not ready for the responsibility of raising a child.
She further discloses that in most of the cases, girls are coming with somebody either her boyfriends or relatives and with parents are very rare, adding that there is a gross difference between knowledge and practise.
Dr Jha says that mostly the cause of adolescent pregnancies is unplanned sex, which happens at the spur of the moment. Also by the records, she says, most of them do not actually care for their health in future as well.
An official of the FWD, says there are 506 registered clinic centre/hospital in the city. She says that an authorised MTP centre can only terminate a pregnancy of 12 weeks in case of complications. For termination of pregnancy between 12 weeks and 20 weeks, the centre needs to seek permission from the appropriate district health authority backed with medical reasons given by at least two gynaecologists and tests from two ultrasound scan centers.
Under the MTP Act, a person found involved in the illegal termination of pregnancy can be subjected to an imprisonment of 2 to 7 years, but as of now there is no report, says an officer.
So it's time for parents to wake up and smell the coffee. Saying no to "no sex" won't help, a loud yes to "safe sex" will.
If one goes by Nancy Meyers’s Hollywood blockbuster flick – What Women Want – there is a lot that the Government of India can learn about.
The day would not be so far when one can ask – why women want abortion. But if you ask the same question to the Government – the answer in all probability – failure of any contraceptive device or method. Because it is same answer or reason why most women want abortion, when asked why they want to.
According to the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment Act), 2003, there are six categories or reasons for termination of an unborn child viz: a. danger to life of the pregnant woman; b. grave injury to the physical health of the pregnant woman; c. grave injury to the mental health of the pregnant woman; d. pregnancy caused by rape; e. substantial risk that if the child was born, it would suffer from such physical or mental abnormalities as to be seriously handicapped; and f. failure of any contraceptive device or method.
Of the 39,384 cases of abortion being reported in Delhi during the year 2008-2009, almost half of them (women) are diagnosed with the given category – failure of any contraceptive device or method and followed by ‘ danger to life of the pregnant woman.
A study conducted by Indian Council of Medical Research, found that 19 per cent of the 1.9 million teenage abortions that take place every year in developing countries happen in India.
Of the approximately 3,61,000 teenage abortions that take place in India every year, around one lakh happen in the urban towns of Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore. And the national Capital contributes to half of that figure.
Though there are no specific figures of abortion cases among the teenager, top abortionists in the city say that at least 4,200+ teenage abortions take place in the capital every month. That’s 50,000 every year.
Also if one looks at the data given the Family Welfare Department (FWD), Government of Delhi, abortion between the ages of 20 – 30 has the maximum number of such cases.
The Law Commission of India, in its one recommendation suggested that the Government of India should bring a suitable change in the law so as to prohibit the marriage of children below the age of 18. The marriageable age, at present, of girls is 18 while the same for boys is 21, according to the Hindu Marriage Act. If the Government accepts the report and changes the rules accordingly, for the first time in India’s history, a child marriage involving a bride or groom below the age of 16 will be illegal.
Now, if we look at the statistic datas prepared by the FWD, Delhi Government, there is no distinguish case whether it would be a rightful age to marry or sex, if one goes to the reports of abortion cases.
Having said that the classification of ages for abortion is divided between the ages of: below 15, age between 15-19, 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44 and above 44. But, by the given classification of data, the highest cases of abortion in Delhi occurred in the ages between 25-29 and followed by 20-24. Which means, even though there is a permissible ages for one to marry or abortion, there is no distinction whether it is young women who just married or college going students or any other workingwomen.
An official of the FWD, Delhi Government, says that abortion among the teenage (read under 18), is having one of the highest cases in the city, but most of these teenagers go to quacks because if they are below 18 years of age any registered abortion clinic would ask for a guardian’s consent. Quacks won’t question them at all.
According to UNICEF’s “State of the World’s Children-2009” report, 47 per cent of India's women aged 20–24 were married before the legal age of 18, with 56 per cent in rural areas. The report also showed that 40 per cent of the world's child marriages occur in India.
Now if you look at the data comparatively with the year between 2007-2008, which stood at 35,981, the abortion cases are also increased sharply. And of the nine districts of Delhi, West district has the maximum number of abortion cases, having 883 cases reported in July and 814 in August in this year alone and East district has the least number of such cases, having 49 and 109 in July and August respectively.
Dr Uvashi Jha, director, Obstetrics and Gyaecology Department, Max Healthcare, says that although the number of abortion cases comparatively similar among the married women and college going students, which is around 10 cases every month in the hospital, these girls are rather brazen attitude towards the pregnancy. She says that there is no fear or regret seen on their faces. But for the married women the majority of abortions are sought for personal reasons such as they do not have the financial resources to bring up a child or they are not ready for the responsibility of raising a child.
She further discloses that in most of the cases, girls are coming with somebody either her boyfriends or relatives and with parents are very rare, adding that there is a gross difference between knowledge and practise.
Dr Jha says that mostly the cause of adolescent pregnancies is unplanned sex, which happens at the spur of the moment. Also by the records, she says, most of them do not actually care for their health in future as well.
An official of the FWD, says there are 506 registered clinic centre/hospital in the city. She says that an authorised MTP centre can only terminate a pregnancy of 12 weeks in case of complications. For termination of pregnancy between 12 weeks and 20 weeks, the centre needs to seek permission from the appropriate district health authority backed with medical reasons given by at least two gynaecologists and tests from two ultrasound scan centers.
Under the MTP Act, a person found involved in the illegal termination of pregnancy can be subjected to an imprisonment of 2 to 7 years, but as of now there is no report, says an officer.
So it's time for parents to wake up and smell the coffee. Saying no to "no sex" won't help, a loud yes to "safe sex" will.
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