scholarly journals The Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Act, 2021: A step towards liberation

2021 ◽  
pp. 01-04
Author(s):  
Veronica Arora ◽  
Ishwar C Verma
Keyword(s):  
Gender Discrimination ◽  
Genetic Disorders ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Termination Of Pregnancy ◽  
Medical Termination Of Pregnancy ◽  
Upper Limit ◽  
Medical Termination ◽  
The World ◽  
Abortion Laws ◽  
Genetic Technologies

Reform of the abortion laws in favour of the well-being of pregnant women is one aspect of the removal of gender discrimination. The Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act (MTP Act) 1971, was a breakthrough legislation in this regard, as it reduced the number of unsafe illegal abortions. With advancements in ultrasonography and genetic technologies, many foetal malformations and genetic disorders were being diagnosed after 20 weeks of gestation. The fact that termination of pregnancy was not legally permitted beyond 20 weeks of gestation caused great distress to such women, and highlighted the need to increase the upper limit of termination of pregnancy. Concurrently, there has been greater awareness around the world on the rights of women to take decisions regarding their own bodies. The MTP Bill, 2020, has come as a breath of fresh air extending the term limit for legal abortions to 24 weeks for certain categories of women, and removing the limit for abortion in the presence of a significant foetal abnormality. The amendments were recently approved by Parliament and the President of India, and have become law as of March 25, 2021. This paper presents the amendments made and their implications for obstetric, ultrasonographic and foetal medical practice. It also presents a critique of the various Acts and suggests further amendments that would enhance the value of the Act.

Clinical outcomes from a prospective study evaluating the role of ambulation during medical termination of pregnancy

Contraception ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 85 (4) ◽  
pp. 398-401 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kamal Ojha ◽  
David J. Gillott ◽  
Patricia Wood ◽  
Elizabeth Valcarcel ◽  
Arti Matah ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prospective Study ◽  
Clinical Outcomes ◽  
Termination Of Pregnancy ◽  
Medical Termination Of Pregnancy ◽  
Medical Termination ◽  
A Prospective Study

Medical Termination of Pregnancy

2000 ◽  
Vol 342 (13) ◽  
pp. 946-956 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sophie Christin-Maitre ◽  
Philippe Bouchard ◽  
Irving M. Spitz
Keyword(s):  
Termination Of Pregnancy ◽  
Medical Termination Of Pregnancy ◽  
Medical Termination

scholarly journals The Global Response to Abortion – with Special Focus on India’s Medical Termination of Pregnancy Bill

2021 ◽  
pp. 16-24
Author(s):  
Asawari Deshpande ◽  
Shashikala Gurpur ◽  
Sujata Arya ◽  
Shireshi Shambhulinganand
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Rights ◽  
Termination Of Pregnancy ◽  
Developmental Trajectory ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Medical Termination Of Pregnancy ◽  
Medical Termination ◽  
Unwanted Pregnancies ◽  
Psychological Harm ◽  
The Right ◽  
Health Rights

The 2020 Amendment Act, of Medical Termination of Pregnancy has reinvigorated the discussion with regards to bodily autonomy and reproductive rights in India. This comes at a juncture of time, where the discussion regarding reproductive rights is an important part of the global socio-political narrative. The aim of this paper is to study the developmental trajectory of reproductive rights by gauging how the right to abortion has fared in various countries across the world by analysing specific legislations, judicial precedents and statistical data. We examine how one may secure the reproductive health rights of a woman better by analysing the two functional methods adopted thus far - either through liberal legislations that guarantee full autonomy to the woman or more restrictive laws that permit abortions only in certain circumstances - a major. The second half of this paper focuses on India, a country whose culture is traditionally perceived to be deeply rooted in orthodoxy and conservatives. The Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act was enacted in 1971, and the 2020 Amendment has garnered acclaim for its more progressive outlook and direction. Even though the amendment has addressed some of the major concerns voiced out by reproductive rights’ activists, there are still a few systemic and practical dogmas that are still pervasive in the reproductive rights domain. The paper discusses these prevalent lacunae at play at length and emphasizes on the need for comprehensive and quick solutions. These will contribute to the prevention of unwanted pregnancies while simultaneously reducing the physical and psychological harm that is caused to vulnerable women across the country.

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