Opinion | Looking beyond the legality of abortion
Even five decades after legalization, abortions in India lack basic safety standards
Last Published: Mon, Oct 01 2018
Vinoj Manning
Despite abortion being legal in India for almost five decades, unsafe abortion continues to be the third largest cause of maternal mortality and accounts for 8% of all maternal deaths in India. Ten women die every day, and thousands more face serious and permanent injuries annually due to unsafe abortion-related causes. Most deaths caused by unsafe abortion are, however, preventable. With the advent of newer and simpler technologies, induced abortion is now a very safe and simple medical procedure, which can save the lives of millions of women.