Thailand’s New Abortion Access Law Is Part of a Bigger Trend

BY SANYA MANSOOR
OCTOBER 27, 2022

Thailand’s Public Health Ministry legalized abortions up to the 20th week of pregnancy on Thursday—an extension of a previous law which allowed termination of pregnancy within the first 12 weeks.

That 12-week allowance came as a result of a law expanding abortion rights enacted last year. These laws are a massive step for a country that criminalized abortion as recently as February 2020, when The
Constitutional Court of Thailand ruled that anti-abortion laws are unconstitutional.

Continued: https://time.com/6225758/thailand-abortion-access/

India – A change in the abortion law?

A change in the abortion law?

August 8, 2019
By Kerean Watts

Could India’s abortion law soon change? Steps may be taken towards amending the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, as the Centre has informed the Delhi High Court it is consulting with ministries on the same.

Social activist Amit Sahni filed a public interest litigation (PIL) before the High Court earlier this year, seeking that the gestation period in which abortion is permitted be extended to between 24 and 26 weeks. Currently, Indian law permits abortion only in the first twenty weeks of pregnancy in cases where “the pregnancy would involve a risk to the life of the pregnant woman or of grave injury physical or mental health; or there is a substantial risk that if the child were born, it would suffer from such physical or mental abnormalities as to be seriously handicapped.” This would require the assent of one medical practitioner in the first twelve weeks and two medical practitioners thereafter.

Continued: https://www.healthissuesindia.com/2019/08/08/a-change-in-the-abortion-law/

The rate of abortion in Australia is lower than you think

The rate of abortion in Australia is lower than you think
By the National Reporting Team's Alison Branley and medical reporter Sophie Scott

Updated December 13, 2017

An ABC investigation has found that Australia has been following international trends and many of the available statistics point to a marked reduction in terminations across the country to a rate as low as 13.5 per 1,000 women.

Despite the available evidence, key opinion leaders, including the College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, academics and family planning clinics, continue to mistakenly suggest Australia has one of the highest rates of abortion in the developed world — even though it is lower than countries like the UK and Canada.

Continued at source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-12-13/the-rate-of-abortion-in-australia-is-lower-than-you-think/9250122

National Estimate of Abortion in India Released

National Estimate of Abortion in India Released
Study Finds 15.6 Million Abortions Occur Annually

December 11, 2017
Guttmacher Institute

According to the first national study of the incidence of abortion and unintended pregnancy in India, an estimated 15.6 million abortions were performed in the country in 2015. This translates to an abortion rate of 47 per 1,000 women aged 15–49, which is similar to the abortion rate in neighboring South Asian countries. The study—published today in The Lancet Global Health—was conducted jointly by researchers at the International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), Mumbai; the Population Council, New Delhi; and the New York–based Guttmacher Institute. It also found that the vast majority of abortions (81%) were achieved using medication abortion (which, in India, is commonly referred to as medical methods of abortion, or MMA) that was obtained either from a health facility or another source. Fourteen percent of abortions were performed surgically in health facilities, and the remaining 5% of abortions were performed outside of health facilities using other, typically unsafe, methods.

Continued at source: https://www.guttmacher.org/news-release/2017/national-estimate-abortion-india-released