Login With Google
HC allows unmarried woman to terminate 23-week pregnancy
Why it is in news?
- The Bombay High Court has allowed a 23-year-old unmarried woman to terminate her 23-week pregnancy and observed that continuing it will lead to a risk of “grave physical and mental injury to her”.
Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, 1971:
- a pregnancy may be terminated by a registered medical practitioner:
(1) Where the length of the pregnancy does not exceed twelve weeks, or
(2) Where the length of the pregnancy exceeds twelve weeks but does not exceed twenty weeks.
- In this case, the abortion will take place, if not less than two registered medical practitioners are of opinion, that the continuance of the pregnancy would involve a risk to the life of the pregnant woman (her physical or mental health); or there is a substantial risk that if the child were born, it would suffer from some physical or mental abnormalities to be seriously handicapped.
(1) Beyond 20 weeks the courts have to decide.