Unsafe Abortion & MTP Act in India in relation to Maternal Mortality

Abstract

Although abortion of unintended pregnancy is legal in India, various studies have found that one of the major reasons of maternal mortality is unsafe abortion. Abortions are considered as unsafe and criminal when they are induced and not done by trained skilled personnel in hygienic environment as recommended by World Health Organisation and the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act. This Act is the most progressive piece of legislation legalising abortion in India, if the said pregnancy is unintended, especially when there are some countries which still prohibit abortion. The question that arises here is why a woman resorts to unsafe abortion in spite of the fact that abortion is permitted in law in India. As per various researches on the subject, poor infrastructure, lack of awareness, the stigma associated with it, and many other reasons contribute towards this avoidable cause. Out of many reasons, the author seeks to study the unsafe abortion of unintended pregnancy in India, in cases of victims of sexual violence and unmarried woman through this paper and evaluate them in the light of the MTP Act.