Vietnam struggles with high abortion rates as consequence of gender selection: ‘people have to rely on their sons’

Vietnam has the second-highest abortion rate in the world, according to a UN estimate, with girls accounting for most of the aborted fetuses

5 Dec, 2023

Northern Vietnam’s largest cemetery for aborted fetuses stretches over more than 1,000 square metres (10,700 square feet).

Located beside rice paddies in Soc Son district on the northern outskirts of Hanoi, Doi Coc Cemetery is a home for those who never had a chance to live.

Visitors to the cemetery pass through a wall filled with small clay pots before arriving at a cold, abandoned house. Inside, there are two 400-litre freezers, containing about 300 fetuses. Outside, you see tightly packed rows of graves.

Continued: https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3243777/vietnam-struggles-high-abortion-rates-are-consequences-gender-selection

05.12.2023

Commentary

cemetery for aborted fetuses

Dr Khuat Thu Hong

Dr. Nguyen Thi Yen

Institute for Social Development Studies

United Nations Population Fund

Vietnam Family Planning Association

World Population Review

Vietnam – Abortion clinic extorts $1,100 from patient

By Le Phuong
September 22, 2023

A Ho Chi Minh City woman says that after offering her a VND2-million abortion, a clinic got her on the operating table before demanding she pay VND29 million ($1,189) instead.

The 37-year-old woman had the abortion at the Y Hoc Sai Gon clinic, but she was only able to transfer VND9 million while she was on the operating table. Staff then held her at the clinic against her will, demanding that she pay the rest of the money before the procedure could continue.

The woman’s family called the municipal Department of Health on September 19 to report the matter and request an intervention.

Continued: https://e.vnexpress.net/news/news/abortion-clinic-extorts-1-100-from-patient-4656388.html

22.09.2023

News

abortion extortion

Tu Du Hospital

YI Hoc Sai Gon clinic

Asia

Vietnam

Unsafe Abortion

Vietnam – Teenagers lack knowledge about reproductive health

SGGP
February 21, 2023

Some medical experts believed that minors lack basic knowledge and skills on protection and care for reproductive and sexual health, so they easily become victims of sexual abuse, leading to bad consequences. Lack of parents' and relatives’ care and schooling also worsened the problem.

According to the World Health Organization, children entering adolescence are going through many physical and psychological changes like exploring their own capabilities and expanding many new relationships. Teenagers having early sexual intercourse have a higher risk of sexually transmitted infections, unwanted pregnancy, and unsafe abortion.

Continued: https://www.sggpnews.org.vn/teenagers-lack-knowledge-about-reproductive-health-post100396.html

Vietnamese woman escapes death after late-term abortion at private clinic

January 15, 2022
by tuoitrenews.vn

A woman has survived complications after undergoing late-term abortion at a private clinic in Ho Chi Minh City.

Hung Vuong Hospital in District 5, Ho Chi Minh City announced on Friday the successful emergency surgery to rescue 44-year-old H.T.P.T., who had been in critical condition after having late termination of pregnancy at a private clinic.

Continued: https://www.vietnambreakingnews.com/2022/01/vietnamese-woman-escapes-death-after-late-term-abortion-at-private-clinic/

15.01.2022

Vietnam – ‘We did not talk about it (her abortion). It is not a happy story’.

'We did not talk about it (her abortion). It is not a happy story’.

By Son Le with Mai Thuy, Alison Hoover. Vietnam Youth Action for Choice.
June 18, 2020

In Vietnam, abortion has been recognized as a women’s right in the early period of time under the Law on Protection of People’s Health in 1989. For 30 years, despite very few occasions that abortion and its legislation are up to debate, the effort of anti-abortion campaigners usually fails to achieve their restriction in the national assembly meeting.

However, this does not mean that safe abortion access is easy for everyone. We face issues of provider stigma, sexuality stigma, sex-selection politics and issues in the quality of abortion care.

Continued: https://www.asapblog-prochoicediscussions.com/post/we-did-not-talk-about-it-her-abortion-it-is-not-a-happy-story

18.06.2020

Featured

Opinion

abortion story

Law on Protection of People’s Health

Vietnam Youth Action for Choice

VYAC

women's abortion stories

Abortion still ‘used as contraceptive’ in Vietnam

Abortion still 'used as contraceptive' in Vietnam
Experts warn that in Vietnam, the lack of sex education means young people don't know enough about safe sex and some are relying on abortion as a form of birth control.

8 Jun 2020

No one had ever talked to her about sex: not her parents, not her teachers -- and her friends knew as little as she did.

"I was terrified when I found out I was pregnant...I think if we had been told about safe sex, we would not have fallen into this trap," the 20-year-old explains.

Continued: https://www.bangkokpost.com/world/1931284/abortion-still-used-as-contraceptive-in-vietnam

08.06.2020

United Nations Population Fund

Vietnam – Workshop raises public awareness on contraception, reproductive health

Workshop raises public awareness on contraception, reproductive health

VNA Monday, September 23, 2019

Hanoi (VNA) – A workshop on active contraception took place in Hanoi on September 23 in response to World Contraception Day 2019.

Co-organised by the Department of Population and Family Planning, Vietnam Women’s Union, and Bayer Vietnam company, the workshop discussed causes of unwanted pregnancy, unsafe abortion, and the benefits of using contraceptive methods.

Continued: https://en.vietnamplus.vn/workshop-raises-public-awareness-on-contraception-reproductive-health/160921.vnp

Vietnam – Unlicensed doctor fined for illegal abortion

Unlicensed doctor fined for illegal abortion

Update: March 26/2018
Viet Nam News

NGHỆ AN — An unlicensed doctor in the central province of Nghệ An was fined VNĐ50 million (US$2,200) for performing an unsafe abortion that killed a local woman.

The unlicensed doctor, Đinh Thị Thanh, 52, performed the abortion by placing a catheter into the woman’s uterus and fed her boiled katuk (Sauropus androgynus) water on March 12, Vietnamnetonline newspaper reported.

Continued: http://vietnamnews.vn/society/425087/unlicensed-doctor-fined-for-illegal-abortion.html

26.03.2018

Featured

News

deaths from illegal abortion

Đinh Thị Thanh

maternal death

unlicensed providers

unsafe abortion in Vietnam

Asia

Vietnam

Unsafe Abortion

Vietnam: Workshop raises awareness of proactive contraception

Workshop raises awareness of proactive contraception

VNA Tuesday, September 26, 2017

Hanoi (VNA) – A workshop on benefits of contraception was held in Hanoi on September 26 in response to World Contraception Day to raise public awareness of contraception and prevent unwanted pregnancies and unsafe abortion.

The event was co-hosted by the Ministry of Health’s General Office for Population and Family Planning and the Vietnam Women’s Union with more than 300 local and foreign delegates in attendance.

Continued at source: https://en.vietnamplus.vn/workshop-raises-awareness-of-proactive-contraception/118472.vnp

26.09.2017

Featured

News

General Office for Population and Family Planning

Nguyen Viet Tien

Vietnam Women’s Union

World Contraception Day

Some 6,000 teen abortion cases reported in Vietnam annually

HANOI, July 18 (Xinhua) -- Some 6,000 teen abortion cases are reported in Vietnam annually, according to Vietnam's General Office for Population and Family Planning (GOPFP) on Monday.

In 2015 alone, Vietnam had a total of around 280,000 abortion cases, 2 percent of which were by teenage moms, local Tien Phong (Pioneer) online newspaper quoted the office as saying.

However, the figures were only collected in public medical facilities. With psychological fears, many teenagers chose to come to private healthcare ones, reported Tien Phong, adding that the real figures must have been much higher.

Dinh Huy Duong, head of GOPFP's Communication and Education Department, said despite on downward trend over the past few years, the rate of teen pregnancy in Vietnam remains high.

Statistics by GOPFP showed that among every 100 girls, nearly three girls get pregnant during their teenage, reported Tien Phong.

Source: Shanghai Daily

18.07.2016