Why India’s law on abortion does not use the word ‘abortion’

Why India’s law on abortion does not use the word ‘abortion’
Some attribute the curious choice of words ‘medical termination of pregnancy’ in the 1971 Act to the colonial hangover of using technical jargon. But that's not the case.

Shonottra Kumar
17 May, 2020

Have you wondered why the law on abortion in India, i.e., the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act (MTP), 1971, does not use the word ‘abortion’? Was there a reason for law makers to choose the phrase ‘medical termination of pregnancy’ over the colloquially recognised term ‘abortions’?

While some attribute the curious choice of words to the colonial hangover of using technical jargon in laws, the real reason is different. The intended use of the term ‘medical termination of pregnancy’ is aimed at ensuring that abortion laws in the country aren’t framed as granting women a choice or a right to undergo safe abortions, but as procedures to protect doctors against prosecution for conducting abortions. This blog explains how.

Continued: https://theprint.in/opinion/india-law-abortion-medical-termination-pregnancy-act/423380/