Mum’s not the only word

In theory, the right to an abortion is a constitutional right in our country under our population control policy. There are ample government clinics that do the procedure at minimal rates legally and private hospitals and clinics are authorised to do it too. According to the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, abortions are legal in India upto the 20th week of pregnancy. Trying to get one is a harrowing, stigmatised journey adding to the internal turmoil and the physical trauma the woman has to face.

A single woman in a long-term relationship in her late 20s went to a premium south Mumbai hospital to get an abortion. “My partner was travelling. We didn’t want children yet and marriage was not on the cards for a while. He asked if he should accompany me, but I felt I could do this alone,” says Maya*, a corporate lawyer in a multinational company. As is the unspoken Standard Operating Procedure in these cases, Maya pretended to be married. “The doctor tried to shame me. She insisted on speaking to my ‘husband’, saying she would convince him to force me to keep the baby. Then she chastised me by saying Jesus would be angry, never mind that it was obvious I am not a Christian.” Denied the best medical care she could afford, Maya eventually went to a smaller clinic in the suburbs.

Similarly, Noor* had an accidental pregnancy from a rebound affair when she was in her early 20s. On the operation table as the anaesthesia started kicking in, she began to weep. Before she went under, the last thing Noor remembers is the anaesthesiologist reprimanding her: “Then why did you have sex?”

A woman could terminate a pregnancy for a variety of reasons, and every one of them is valid. The refusal to healthcare comes from the deep righteous assumption that her divine duty is to bring forth more of the human race. When she decides not to populate the earth some more, she’s refusing her natural duty.

And society, even supposedly empathetic, and legally bound medical practitioners feel compelled to stop this transgression. Shamed and additionally traumatised, women prefer over-the-counter abortion pills, inexperienced mid-wives or shady clinics with questionable hygiene to carry out the simple procedure instead.

According to IPAS International Development Foundation, unsafe abortions kill 10 women in India every day (that’s 3,650 women a year). The organisation — which works to end preventable death and disabilities resulting from unsafe abortions — found that 68 lakh abortions take place in India every year. Rajasthan tops the list with 40,000 procedures. Faulty procedures lead to disabilities and health complications such as uterine infections.

Smita Sahay, who works in the field of mental health points out another hurdle, “First, there is limited or no sex education which is why we are unable to prevent unwanted pregnancies. Second, there are other mental health issues emanating from grief, guilt, fear and shame. There are hundreds to advise you during pregnancy, but nobody to help you cope with an abortion.”

“I was less than six weeks pregnant when I decided to go for an abortion,” says Vandana, a Capital dweller. “A simple three-pill treatment would have sufficed but the doctor insisted on suction which is a painful and invasive procedure.”

A surgical procedure costs upwards of Rs 30,000, while a three-pill treatment (inclusive of sonography) comes up to about Rs 6,000. “I wonder whether they wanted to make more money or wanted to punish me for being an unwed mother,” she asks, echoing the concerns of such women who are routinely harassed with unnecessary questions about their marital status. Some are even asked to get consent from their parents or the father of the child. Feminists say there needs to be a mental health support system in place to counsel such women.

On the internet, a meme by Berlin ArtParasites (inset) quoting Frederica Mathewes-Green says, “No woman wants an abortion like she wants an ice cream cone or a Porsche. She wants an abortion like an animal caught in a trap wants to gnaw off its own leg.” (*Names changed)

WHAT THE LAW SAYS

As per the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act (1971), abortions are legal up to the twentieth week of pregnancy.

Termination of pregnancy upto a term of 12 weeks should be conducted in good faith and only the woman’s consent is required to carry out the procedure.

Abortions for pregnancies between 12 to 20 weeks require a medical nod from two qualified doctors. After this, the procedure requires permission from the court.

Recently, the Supreme Court allowed a rape survivor to terminate her pregnancy in the 24th week citing imminent danger to her physical and mental health.