Q. With reference to Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP), consider the following statements;
1.The MTP rules permit unmarried woman to terminate her pregnancy.
2.The Medical practitioners have to ascertain that continuance of the pregnancy would risk the life of the pregnant woman or substantial risk to the child if it is born.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Statement 1 is incorrect: The Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971 and its Rules, 2003 permit termination of pregnancies of up to 24 weeks in seven specific categories, including survivors of rape or sexual assault, minors, in case of physical disabilities and fetal malformation. These seven categories represent women who were “extremely vulnerable”. But it didn’t permit unmarried woman to terminate her pregnancy.
The Supreme Court last week held that it will permit a 51-year-old unmarried woman to terminate her pregnancy. The judgement could have been cited in support of other women in a similar situation, but it didn’t. So others would still have had to take the legal route, and wait upon the discretion of individual judges.
Statement 2 is correct: The act allows a woman to terminate her pregnancy within the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. After consulting an RMP (registered medical practitioner) woman can terminate her pregnancy.
The Medical practitioners have to ascertain that continuance of the pregnancy would risk the life of the pregnant woman or substantial risk (Physical or mental abnormalities) to the child if it is born.
Source: The Hindu
