<p>Indian women may soon be able to legally opt for abortion until the sixth month or 24 weeks of pregnancy, but after seeking permission from two doctors.</p>.<p>The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved amendments to the five-decade-old Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act that allowed abortions till 20 weeks, forcing women to seek illegal means to end unwanted pregnancies, a move that put their lives at risk.</p>.<p>“The law, which was necessary for women’s reproductive rights, will now allow them to abort any time during pregnancy till the 24-week gestation period. Currently, the law allows medical abortion only till 20 weeks of pregnancy,” I&B Minister Prakash Javadekar told reporters here.</p>.<p>The minister said earlier mortality of pregnant women was higher due to unsafe abortion at around 8%.</p>.<p>“The law will help rape victims, ill and under-age women to terminate unwanted pregnancies lawfully. Also, in case of deformity of the foetus, a medical board will provide a safe pathway for abortion,” Javadekar said.</p>.<p>The Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill is expected to be introduced in the Budget session of Parliament beginning Friday.</p>.<p>There had been cases where women had to seek permission for abortions at a gestational period beyond 20 weeks on grounds of foetal deformities detected at a later stage or pregnancies due to sexual violence.</p>.<p>According to the amendments, a woman can go in for abortion up to the 20th week of pregnancy on the recommendation of a single doctor.</p>.<p>However, for abortion of pregnancies between 20 and 24 weeks, permission would be required from two doctors, one of whom would be a government doctor.</p>.<p>The amendment also states that the “name and other particulars of a woman whose pregnancy has been terminated shall not be revealed, except to a person authorised in any law for the time being in force”.</p>.<p>Javadekar said the amendments were aimed at expanding access of women to safe and legal abortion services on therapeutic, eugenic, humanitarian or social grounds.</p>
<p>Indian women may soon be able to legally opt for abortion until the sixth month or 24 weeks of pregnancy, but after seeking permission from two doctors.</p>.<p>The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved amendments to the five-decade-old Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act that allowed abortions till 20 weeks, forcing women to seek illegal means to end unwanted pregnancies, a move that put their lives at risk.</p>.<p>“The law, which was necessary for women’s reproductive rights, will now allow them to abort any time during pregnancy till the 24-week gestation period. Currently, the law allows medical abortion only till 20 weeks of pregnancy,” I&B Minister Prakash Javadekar told reporters here.</p>.<p>The minister said earlier mortality of pregnant women was higher due to unsafe abortion at around 8%.</p>.<p>“The law will help rape victims, ill and under-age women to terminate unwanted pregnancies lawfully. Also, in case of deformity of the foetus, a medical board will provide a safe pathway for abortion,” Javadekar said.</p>.<p>The Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill is expected to be introduced in the Budget session of Parliament beginning Friday.</p>.<p>There had been cases where women had to seek permission for abortions at a gestational period beyond 20 weeks on grounds of foetal deformities detected at a later stage or pregnancies due to sexual violence.</p>.<p>According to the amendments, a woman can go in for abortion up to the 20th week of pregnancy on the recommendation of a single doctor.</p>.<p>However, for abortion of pregnancies between 20 and 24 weeks, permission would be required from two doctors, one of whom would be a government doctor.</p>.<p>The amendment also states that the “name and other particulars of a woman whose pregnancy has been terminated shall not be revealed, except to a person authorised in any law for the time being in force”.</p>.<p>Javadekar said the amendments were aimed at expanding access of women to safe and legal abortion services on therapeutic, eugenic, humanitarian or social grounds.</p>
