"If a woman has even one daughter, I refuse to perform the abortion": Sex determination and safe abortion in India. Issue 45 (May 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Potdar, Pritam; Barua, Alka; Dalvie, Suchitra; Pawar, Anand
• Is Part Of: Reproductive health matters. Volume 23:Issue 45(2015)
• Page Start: 114
• Page End: 125
• Publication Date: 2015-05
• Subjects: abortion law and policy -- abortion services -- second trimester abortions -- sex determination -- sex ratio -- private doctors -- India; Gynecology -- Social aspects -- Periodicals; Obstetrics -- Social aspects -- Periodicals; Women's health services -- Periodicals; Women -- Health and hygiene -- Periodicals; Human reproduction -- Social aspects -- Periodicals; Reproduction -- Periodicals; Reproductive Medicine -- Periodicals; Women's Health -- Periodicals; Women's Rights -- Periodicals; Reproduction humaine; Gynécologie; Obstétrique; Santé de la femme; Périodique électronique (Descripteur de forme); Ressource Internet (Descripteur de forme); Electronic journals; 613.9
• DOI: 10.1016/j.rhm.2015.06.003
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0968-8080

Abstract

Abstract: In India, safe abortion services are sought mainly in the private sector for reasons of privacy, confidentiality, and the absence of delays and coercion to use contraception. In recent years, the declining sex ratio has received much attention, and implementation of the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act (2003) has become stringent. However, rather than targeting sex determination, many inspection visits target abortion services. This has led to many private medical practitioners facing negative media publicity, defamation and criminal charges. As a result, they have started turning women away not only in the second trimester but also in the first. Samyak, a Pune-based, non-governmental organization, came across a number of cases of refusal of abortion services during its work and decided to explore the experiences of private medical practitioners with the regulatory mechanisms and what happened to the women. The study showed that as a fallout from the manner of implementation of the PCPNDT Act, safe abortion services were either difficult for women to access or outright denied to them. There is an urgent need to recognize this impact of the current regulatory environment, which is forcing women towards illegal and unsafe abortions.