THE MEDICAL

TERMINATION OF
PREGNANCY ACT, 1971
 INTRODUCTION
An enabling act which:

• Aims to improve the maternal health scenario.

• Legalizes abortion services
• Promotes access to safe abortion services to
women
• De-criminalizes the abortion seeker
 INDICATIONS
 Continuation of pregnancy constitutes risk to the life or
grave injury to the physical or mental health of woman
 Substantial risk of physical or mental abnormalities in
the fetus as to render it seriously handicapped
 Pregnancy caused by rape (presumed grave injury to
mental health)
 Contraceptive failure in married couple (presumed grave
injury to mental health)
 “In determining whether the continuance of pregnancy
would involve such risk of injury to the health (as
mentioned above), account may be taken of the
pregnant woman’s actual or reasonable foreseeable
environment”
 LEGAL ABORTIONS

Abortions are termed legal only when all the following

conditions are met:
• Termination done by a medical practitioner
approved by the Act.
• Termination done at a place approved under the
Act.
• Termination done for conditions and within the
gestation prescribed by the Act.
 WHEN CAN PREGNANCIES BE
TERMINATED?
• Where the length of the pregnancy does not exceed
12 weeks.
• Where the length of pregnancy exceeds 12 weeks
but does not exceed 20 weeks.
 the continuance of pregnancy may involve a risk
to the life if the woman.
 There is a substantial risk to the child- either
physical or mental.
• No pregnancy of a woman who has not attained the
age of 18years, or woman of 18 years but mentally
ill, shall be terminated except with the consent in
writing of her guardian.
 WHERE CAN PREGNANCY BE
TERMINATED?
• A hospital established or maintained by
government.

• A place approved for the purpose of this Act by a

district-level Committee constituted by the
government with the CMHO as Chairperson.
THANK YOU