Abortion, despite being an essential health service, is treated as a taboo in most societies. The source of this stigma is often our immediate surroundings – families, friends, and the media. As part of The YP Foundation’s commitment to tackling the stigma around abortion, we asked young people in our network to describe the first time they heard the word “abortion”. Here’s what we got!
Abortion. When you hear this word, what is the first thought that crosses your mind? What does it mean? Why is there so much social stigma associated with it? Why do people whisper while talking about it? Why does our educational system give us sex education? What are all the myths and superstitions related to it? The word ‘abortion’ was derived from the Latin word ‘abortio’ which means to abort, miscarry, or deliver prematurely. Abortion is defined as the “removal of an embryo or foetus from the uterus in order to end a pregnancy,” and can occur during the first six months of pregnancy.
I remember the first time I came across this term. It was way back when I was in school while watching some Bollywood movie with my elder sister, where the female protagonist was talking to the doctor about it.
I was in 8th standard at that time and my sister was in 10th standard. She was sitting right beside me while we watched the movie. I was immediately intrigued by the term and bombarded her with a whole lot of questions. She got all flustered, her face was all pale, she scolded me for my stupid questions, and left the room.
I did not understand what my mistake was and so I went to my mother with the same questions. She made me sit down and explained what abortion meant.
After she was done explaining it to me, I found myself running towards the computer to search more about it, which left me in a pool of tears.
Abortion is a common, and one of the most essential, part of women’s sexual and reproductive health. Even then, there are many social norms, stigma, and taboo that influence a woman’s decision-making and create barriers to safe abortion care.
According to an article in The Times of India titled “Women, know these 5 facts about abortion in India! (and what’s wrong with the act)”, as per the Abortion Assessment Project (one of the most extensive Indian studies on abortion that lasted from 2000 to 2004), out of the total abortions that took place in India, 56% were unsafe. This means that statistically, of the 6.4 million abortions annually, 3.6 million were unsafe. The mortality due to these unsafe abortions caused up to 13% of maternal deaths in the country.
Abortion in India has been legal since 1971 according to the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, which makes abortion legal only if performed before 20 weeks of conception, and only in special circumstances.
We really need to come out to talk and educate not only women but also men about this sensitive issue, so that proper medical care can be provided to women. We need to hold hands to remove this stigma from our society, to strengthen our women, and to support them with this life-changing decision.
This story is one of the many submissions that we received. The YP Foundation’s Abortion Campaign works towards destigmatising abortion and increasing access to safe and comprehensive abortion care services. We engage with young people to advocate for abortion as a reproductive right, especially among marine fisherfolk in Kerala and tea plantation labourers in Assam.
Want to join the conversation? Send in your experiences of hearing about abortion for the first time to ipsa@theypfoundation.org. Read all the stories in the campaign here and follow us as we strive towards destigmatising abortion!