MYTHS V/S FACTS
Forty seven years ago in 1971, the Supreme Court of India decided to grant Indian women the right to a legal abortion, provided that the abortion is done in good faith under the terms of the Act. Though it has been met by several amendments in 1975 and 2002, the awareness of the legality of abortion is still low and misconceptions about the law among women and providers are prevalent.
Here are some oft-repeated myths that we need to clear up about the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP).
Myth #1 : Even safe abortions could be dangerous for a woman’s life
REALITY: Over 99.75% do not cause major medical problems
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SOURCE: According to the data from The Registrar General of India, Sample Registration System (2001-03), only unsafe (and not safe) abortions contribute to 8% of the total maternal deaths. The reason why it is such a big myth is because of the pop culture misrepresenting the risks of abortion, in general.
Myth #2: The sex-selective abortion rate in India is skyrocketing
REALITY: Only 9% of the abortions performed every year, are sex-selective abortions
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SOURCE: https://www.youthkiawaaz.com/2015/07/misconceptions-about-abortion/
Myth #3: Fetuses experience pain during abortions.
REALITY: Fetuses cannot feel pain until at least the 24th week of pregnancy.
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SOURCE: Experts ranging from Britain’s Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists to the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists agree with that timeline. In fact, research from UCSF found that fetuses can't perceive pain before 29 or 30 weeks of development.
Myth #4: Restricting access to abortions is the best way to reduce abortions
REALITY: The best way to reduce abortions is to reduce unintended pregnancies through comprehensive sexuality education, prevention of gender based violence, and access to woman-centered and effective contraception. Restricting access to safe abortion only increases women’s risk for unsafe abortion. When women decide to terminate an unwanted pregnancy and do not have access to safe, legal abortion services provided by well-trained medical providers, they are forced to either self-induce or seek clandestine abortions, often provided by unqualified medical providers under unhygienic conditions.
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SOURCE: The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), the United States’ leading professional association providing health care for women, found that reducing unplanned pregnancies clearly contributes to lowering both rates of unsafe abortion and the overall level of abortion (ACOG 2009).
Myth #4: Restricting access to abortions is the best way to reduce abortions
Myth #5: Since abortion is legal in India, women use it as a birth control
REALITY: The best way to reduce abortions is to reduce unintended pregnancies through comprehensive sexuality education, prevention of gender based violence, and access to woman-centered and effective contraception. Restricting access to safe abortion only increases women’s risk for unsafe abortion. When women decide to terminate an unwanted pregnancy and do not have access to safe, legal abortion services provided by well-trained medical providers, they are forced to either self-induce or seek clandestine abortions, often provided by unqualified medical providers under unhygienic conditions.
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SOURCE: The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), the United States’ leading professional association providing health care for women, found that reducing unplanned pregnancies clearly contributes to lowering both rates of unsafe abortion and the overall level of abortion (ACOG 2009).
REALITY: Women who do not have information and access to reliable contraceptive methods face higher rates of unplanned pregnancy and may use abortion to terminate the pregnancy, regardless of the legality of abortion.
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SOURCE: A 2007 report showed that when contraceptives are not widely available or their use is not a culturally accepted practice, abortions are likely to occur at higher-than-average levels among women wishing to avoid or delay childbearing (Sedgh et al. 2007). Evidence also shows that in developed countries with high abortion rates the use of abortion quickly declines when a range of contraceptive methods becomes widely available and the methods are used effectively. Legalization of abortion and access to abortion services do not lead to increased reliance on abortion for fertility control in the long term (Marston and Cleland 2003, Henshaw et al. 1999).
Myth #5: Since abortion is legal in India, women use it as a birth control
Myth #6: Abortion kills an unborn child and is morally wrong.
REALITY: The fetus is developed only after the second month of gestation, until then, it’s just an embryo.
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BACKGROUND: In these early stages of pregnancy, the fetus is not an autonomous being. At the time when almost all abortions are performed, the fetus is not viable, meaning it could not survive on its own outside of the womb. Using inflammatory words like “killing” or “murder” to describe abortion inaccurate equates an embryo – something which has the potential to become a person – with an actual person. It then pits this potential existence with the rights and bodily autonomy of an actual person who is alive and living in the world and who can make decisions about what is best for their bodies, their lives and their families. Furthermore, morals are subjective – the idea that abortion is “morally wrong” is a personal viewpoint that cannot be argued with scientific or medical evidence. The Supreme Court of India recognize that personhood begins at birth.