Abortion Needs of Women in India: A Case Study of Rural Maharashtra

Abstract

The Indian Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act came into force in 1972, in response to the high mortality and morbidity associated with illegal abortion. However, 25 years on, both restrictions in the law and the way it is implemented through service delivery have failed to meet the abortion needs of large numbers
of women. Using data from a larger qualitative study in rural Maharashtra, this paper explores women's perceptions of their rights and needs in relation to abortion. The women were ambivalent about abortion, based on their roles and identity as mothers, but they saw the necessity for abortion and supported each other to have abortions. They had conflicting feelings with regard to abortion on grounds of fetal sex, and problematic issues of sexuality, especially for single women in relation to abortion, also arose.