American Women Turn to Cheap Abortion Pills From India Post Roe

Mail order businesses in India are shipping the pills to women in the US

By Bruce Einhorn and Dhwani Pandya
November 3, 2022

Angry over the US Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade in June, Deborah Willoughby wanted to do more than attend a rally or make a donation. So she sat down at her computer and placed an order for a pack of abortion pills from India sold under the brand name Unwanted.

India has many online pharmacies offering to sell mifepristone and misoprostol, drugs commonly used to terminate pregnancies — no questions asked and no prescription required. Plan C, an American group that provides information on how to obtain at-home abortion medication, needed volunteers to test online suppliers’ delivery claims. Willoughby signed up and placed an order via Secureabortionpills.com, which describes itself as an online international pharmacy selling generic drugs.

Continued: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-11-03/roe-v-wade-us-women-turn-to-cheap-abortion-pills-from-india

Indian women gain abortion rights but cost and stigma limit access

Experts say stigma and myths stemming from laws against sex-selective abortion of girls deter many women from having abortions

Thomson Reuters Foundation
24 Oct 2022

A ruling by India's top court that grants unmarried women equal abortion rights could end up being largely symbolic without concerted efforts to tackle persistent barriers to the procedure, reproductive rights campaigners say.

Stigma and myths stemming from laws against sex-selective abortion of girls deter many women, campaigners and experts said, while a lack of affordable and rural facilities are hitting poorer and marginalised groups.

Continued: https://bdnews24.com/the-long-read/q8hug027cu

India – The Challenges Of Accessing Self-Managed Abortions During COVID-19

By Pragati Parihar
November 16, 2021

In the context of restrictions brought about by COVID-19 and Texas’ six-week abortion laws, the access to safe reproductive and sexual health choices has been brought back again to global focus. Apart from the traditional beliefs and legal norms concerning abortions, the different methods of abortion have also come to be an integral part of the discussion.

Self-managed abortions, also known as abortion by pills or medical abortions, is seen as one of the most effective ways to end an unintended pregnancy, even in countries with strict abortion laws. Self-managed abortions are defined as self-sourcing of abortion pills, outside of the clinical environment. It could be done from the comfort of one’s home or anywhere else that’s convenient to the abortion seeker.

Continued: https://feminisminindia.com/2021/11/16/self-managed-abortions-covid-19-challenges/

India – New abortion rules recognise minors as vulnerable, seek to make services more accessible to them

Jagriti Chandra, NEW DELHI
OCTOBER 30, 2021

The new abortion rules notified by the Government recently recognise minors as a vulnerable category and seek to make services more accessible to them. But social stigma and conflict with POCSO Act, 2012, or the law against child sexual abuse, pose hurdles.

The Medical Termination of Pregnancy Amendment Rules, 2021, define new categories of vulnerable women who are allowed termination up to 24 weeks upon meeting certain conditions and with the permission of two doctors. These include minors, survivors of sexual assault and those with foetal malformation among others. Others may seek abortion up to 20 weeks with the permission of one doctor upon meeting certain criteria…

Continued: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/new-abortion-rules-recognise-minors-as-vulnerable-seek-to-make-services-more-accessible-to-them/article37253176.ece

It’s Been 50 Years Since India’s Abortion Law Was Passed. Where Do We Stand Now?

By Ainee Nizami Ahmedi
September 3rd, 2021

This week, the state of Texas passed an abortion law that prohibits women from opting for legal abortion after six weeks of pregnancy—well before most women will even know that they are pregnant. While the law is being met with an uproar, with many calling it an unconstitutional infringement on human rights, back in India, we stand with a recently amended abortion law that still gives doctors more accessibility than women.

Passed in 1971, the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act allows women to opt for abortion on the grounds of contraceptive failure. Post its recent amendment in 2021, abortion can be performed until 24 weeks of pregnancy, for special cases. While the earlier law stated that only a ‘married woman and her husband’ could opt for abortion, the marital status clause has now been removed. All pregnancies up to 20 weeks require one doctor’s approval, and between 20-24 weeks requires approval from two doctors.

Continued: https://elle.in/article/its-been-50-years-since-indias-abortion-law-was-passed-where-do-we-stand-now/

03.09.2021

Featured

News

abortion access during pandemic

Harsh Vardhan

Ipas Development Foundation

Medical Termination Of Pregnancy (MTP) Act

Let us remove all doubts: Reproductive rights are essential

December 10, 2020
Anisha Aggarwal

Women have been the worst sufferers of Covid-19 due to multiple reasons. The pandemic warrants a reminder that reproductive rights are human rights – they are essential and urgent

It may not be wrong to say that human rights were introduced in India right back in 1950 with the development of the Constitution of our country. The human rights movement has seen rapid progress and success, and many national programs and mechanisms have been introduced to complement the growing recognition of an individual’s rights.

Continued; https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/voices/let-us-remove-all-doubts-reproductive-rights-are-essential/

10.12.2020

Ipas Development Foundation

India – 1.6 Crore Abortions Happen Every Year, Yet We Don’t Talk About Them. How Can That Change?

By Ipas Development Foundation in Gender and Sexuality, Sexual Health, Taboos
17th October, 2020
Co-authored by Shivi Sukhija and Parul

Societal norms and cultures affect all of us and often take over our decision making powers and capabilities. One commonly occurring, but rarely discussed, instance is when a woman has an unintended pregnancy. Any woman in such a scenario, whether married or unmarried, will have two options available with her – to continue the pregnancy or to consider various options available for its termination or abortion.

The decision should be hers and Indian law also permits termination of pregnancy under a broad range of conditions. But a complicated journey begins when she decides to terminate the pregnancy and due to societal concerns and taboos attached with abortion, she herself or her partner are unable to discuss their thoughts and feelings with peers and families. As a result, in an effort to hide the unintended pregnancy and their decision to terminate it, the woman and her partner end up seeking unsafe abortion services.

Continued: https://www.youthkiawaaz.com/2020/10/starting-conversations-around-unintended-pregnancies-and-abortions/

17.10.2020

Commentary

Featured

Ipas Development Foundation

Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act

Why Changes To India’s 50-Year-Old Abortion Law Fail Its Women

After decades of advocacy, it took the Lok Sabha only 15 days—without adequate consultation with those involved—to clear amendments to India’s abortion laws. Instead of making abortion easier for women who need it, such as rape survivors, the changes only make it more difficult.

Sept 6, 2020
SWETA DASH

New Delhi: In 2019, a 13-year-old rape survivor in Madhya Pradesh found out she was pregnant and in her 24th week. With the help of Nikita Sonawane, a lawyer associated with the Criminal Justice and Police Accountability Project (CPAProject), an advocacy, she approached the High Court in June 2019. The court allowed her to go ahead with the termination of pregnancy—but only six weeks later, by which time she already reached her 30th week.

“The doctors had to induce delivery. She was in labour for 24 hours,” said Sonawane. Her lawyers pleaded for mental-health support but the biggest government hospital in Madhya Pradesh did not have a child psychologist. "Finally, a psychiatrist was arranged, said Sonavane. "It was an immensely harrowing experience for her.”

Continued: https://www.article-14.com/post/why-changes-to-india-s-50-year-old-abortion-law-fail-its-women

06.09.2020

Commentary

Featured

Anubha Rastogi

Criminal Justice and Police Accountability Project

Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India

FOGSI

history of abortion

Human Rights Law Network

Indian Penal Code 1860

Ipas Development Foundation

Lok Sabha

Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill 2020

Medical Termination Of Pregnancy (MTP) Act

Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act

Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act

rape and abortion

sexual and reproductive health and rights

How India’s Healthcare System Treated Women During Pandemic

In one critical segment of healthcare—population services—India failed women almost completely.

Rashme Sehgal
21 Aug 2020

The fate of 30-year old Neelam, who died in the eight month of pregnancy because of lack of proper medical facilities sums up the fate of a large number of women during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite being in her final trimester and unwell, she failed to get admitted in even one of eight hospitals whose doors her family knocked at in NOIDA, Uttar Pradesh.

Her husband and brother took the unwell woman to eight hospitals in one day but were refused admission, allegedly on grounds that each of them was already overburdened with patients.

Continued: https://www.newsclick.in/How-India's-Healthcare-System-Treated-Women-During-Pandemic

COVID-19 has “devastating” effect on women and girls

Sophie Cousins, The Lancet
August 01, 2020
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)31679-2

Natalia Kanem, executive director of the UN Population Fund, is among experts warning about disrupted health services and a surge in gender-based violence. Sophie Cousins reports.

As the COVID-19 pandemic accelerates, fears are increasing about the effect of the pandemic on women's and girls' sexual and reproductive health and their access to care. In response to COVID-19, in March, WHO issued interim guidance for maintaining essential services during an outbreak, which included advice to prioritise services related to reproductive health and make efforts to avert maternal and child mortality and morbidity.

Continued: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)31679-2/fulltext