More unmarried women walking in for MTP, say docs

Ritika Jha Palial

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 27

While medical termination of pregnancies has been a common practice among women since 1971 (when the Act was passed), the trend among women is changing. Going by gynaecologists across MTP centres in the city, there has been a tremendous rise in MTP cases opted by unmarried women, including college students, who are now open and confident about sharing their marital status, though it is not compulsory under the law.

A total of 1,511 MTP cases were reported across 35 private centres and six government sector centres in Chandigarh between April 2014 and March 2015. While no official figures are available with the office of the UT District Health and Welfare Officer (since they do not record the marital status and names of women as per the provisions in the MTP Act, 1971), doctors hinted at a rise of 10 to 15 per cent in the number of unmarried women walking into the centres for MTP.

“Many women walk in with their partners and friends now. The number is rising every year. Most of them are college students. Though it is the right of an unmarried woman to abort an unwanted pregnancy, we often face problems when an ultrasound is to be performed before the termination of pregnancy since for an ultrasound a proof of residence is mandatory and most college students do not have it,” said Dr  Umesh Jindal from Jindal IVF Centre, Sector 20.

Doctors said the government must take steps to check the injudicious use of contraceptives without medical advice to prevent ectopical and complicated unwanted pregnancies and crack down on the sale of contraceptives by chemists without prescription. 

“This issue is alarming in the sense that our youngsters need to understand the importance of safe abortion practices. In most cases, young women come to us after having tried all kind of contraceptives without medical advice. When they find that the contraceptives have failed to terminate the pregnancy, they consult us. However, in the process, they are exposed to the risk of infertility and pelvic inflammatory diseases,” said Dr GK Bedi from Bedi Hospital in Sector 33.

“Sexual indulgence among our youngsters is rising and unwanted pregnancies are proportionate. What is important is that they should not complicate their preganancy by using over-the-counter drugs,” said Dr Mangla Dogra from Dogra Nursing Home, Sector 19.