India – ‘Women always take the brunt’: India sees surge in unsafe abortion

Low priority for reproductive health during lockdown leaves millions unable to access contraception or safe terminations

Neha Thirani Bagri in Mumbai
Published on Mon 13 Jul 2020

Sadhna Gupta* discovered she was pregnant just after India imposed a crippling lockdown to curb the spread of Covid-19.

The 21-year-old from the eastern Indian city of Bhubaneswar didn’t want to be pregnant. With no public transport available, clinics closed and Bhubaneswar at a standstill, she bought an abortion pill without consulting a doctor. While what she did was not unusual, Indian law requires a prescription for the pills from a licensed medical professional.

Continued: https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2020/jul/13/women-always-take-the-brunt-india-sees-surge-in-unsafe-abortion

India – Lockdown cuts off access to abortions and sexual health care for many women

Lockdown cuts off access to abortions and sexual health care for many women
Limiting access to contraceptives and medical termination of pregnancies (MTPs) would only result in women turning to unsafe measures.

Dr Nimeshika Jayachandran
Sunday, May 17, 2020

Two weeks after the lockdown had been announced, 26-year-old Avantika*, a resident of Mumbai found herself panicking after a home pregnancy test she took was positive.

“I didn’t know what to do, I didn’t believe it at first and took 2 more tests which also were positive, and that’s when I really started to panic. I live with my friend and her cousin, who really supported me through the whole process. My friend’s cousin called up a few hospitals near where we live to find out if we could get a scan to confirm the pregnancy, nearly all of them said no,” she says.

continued: https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/lockdown-cuts-access-abortions-and-sexual-health-care-many-women-124734

Why India is likely to lose its battle to population control as the health department focuses on COVID-19?

Why India is likely to lose its battle to population control as the health department focuses on COVID-19?
In the worst-case scenario, there can be more than 2.9 million additional population which could be due to unintended pregnancies

Thursday, May 14, 2020
By Jescilia Karayamparambil

The already stressed healthcare segment in India is presently concentrating on saving the lives of COVID-19 patients. But the healthcare professionals like doctors and other healthcare workers, are expected to feel the pinch further when there are more abortion cases and other health issues among women -- mainly due to unwanted pregnancies, says VS Chandrashekar, Chief Executive Officer, Foundation for Reproductive Health Services India (FRHS). This unwanted pregnancy is expected to have large economic pressure among families who were not ready for a child.

Speaking to The Free Press Journal, Chandrashekar, said, "We prepared a report taking into consideration three scenarios -- best case, likely case and worst scenarios."

Continued: https://www.freepressjournal.in/business/why-india-is-likely-to-lose-its-battle-to-population-control-as-the-health-department-focuses-on-covid-19

India – How ‘Essential’ Abortion Services Are Inaccessible in the Lockdown

How ‘Essential’ Abortion Services Are Inaccessible in the Lockdown

Saakhi Chadha
Updated: 12/05/2020

A 19-year-old rape survivor in Mumbai found out she was pregnant right when India implemented its nationwide lockdown. She knew she had to get an abortion, but with no transport available and with many clinics shutting down their operations, she felt helpless and out of options.

“We went and picked her up and ensured she got the abortion at a public hospital. Forced sex is a critical issue in a lockdown and abortion services are required here and now,” Sangeeta Rege of the Centre for Enquiry into Health and Allied Themes (CEHAT), the NGO that intervened and arranged for the girl’s pass and travel, told Reuters.

Continued: https://fit.thequint.com/coronavirus/access-to-abortion-and-contraceptive-services-during-coronavirus-lockdown-in-india

India – Women are finding it difficult to access abortion care, an essential service during lockdown

Women are finding it difficult to access abortion care, an essential service during lockdown
The closure of private clinics, lack of mobility and lockdown rules are restricting women from access to abortion care.

By Nirandhi Gowthaman
6th May 2020

The coronavirus pandemic and the subsequent lockdown has adversely affected many communities and subsections of society especially the poor, migrant labourers, marginalised communities and women. Particularly, pregnant women, new mothers and women seeking abortions have been affected due to lack of resources during the lockdown.

The Ministry of Health in its note on providing essential healthcare services said, “Focusing on COVID-19 related activities, and continuing to provide essential services, is important not only to maintain people’s trust in the health system to deliver essential health services, but also to minimise an increase in morbidity and mortality from other health conditions.”

Continued: https://yourstory.com/herstory/2020/05/women-difficult-access-abortion-lockdown-essential-service

Million ‘Unwanted’ Babies, More Deaths: Why India’s ‘Essential’ Abortion Service Isn’t Enough

Million 'Unwanted' Babies, More Deaths: Why India's 'Essential' Abortion Service Isn't Enough
The Coronavirus pandemic will leave 24.55 million couples in India without any access contraceptives, 900,000 unsafe abortions, and a steep increase in pregnancy-related deaths.

Adrija Bose, News18.com
April 29, 2020

It took two weeks for a woman living in Bhiwandi in Maharashtra to get to an abortion clinic in South Mumbai after finding out she was pregnant. The journey usually takes about 2-3 hours.

After finding out she was pregnant, the woman got an appointment at the abortion clinic. But by the time she could arrange for a vehicle amid the lockdown, she had already crossed the seven-week limit to get a medical abortion and instead had to undergo a surgical one. "She was one of the lucky ones," a doctor who works at the hospital said.

Continued: https://www.news18.com/news/buzz/million-unwanted-babies-more-deaths-indias-essential-abortion-service-isnt-enough-during-pandemic-2596409.html