Literature Review On Second Trimester Abortion

Second trimester abortion is done within the period of week 13 to week 28 of the gestation. There is very little literature on Second Trimester Abortion in Indian context. India is known for the second highest abortion in the world but without any backup with data. According to the MTP Act 1971, when the pregnancy is less than or equal to 12th weeks, one medical practitioner can perform abortion but if the pregnancy exceeds 12th months and does not exceed the 20th week, not less than two practitioners should perform the process of abortion. There are various reasons why large numbers of women are going for second trimester abortion such as:

• They did not realize they were pregnant earlier. (Women may skip their period for many non-pregnancy-related

A major gap in abortion policy in India is the lack of guidelines on good clinical practices and researches. National technical guidelines (2001) do not confirm with WHO's International guidelines and fail to ensure good clinical practices even at approved abortion centres. There are very low percentages of women in India who can easily access the health care facilities which include safe abortion facilities also. India's abortion policies and laws are very progressive and effectively translated into improved access to safe abortion care is often impeded by misguided and unnecessary practices. But still there are various barriers which stops women to access the safe abortion facilities. The most experienced barrier is the institution i.e., marriage. If a woman is single, then she has to face various problems in accessing her right to safe abortion. Other barriers such as funds, pressure from family, refusal by doctors, hesitation to approach, unaware of safe abortion centres etc. Despite of the report by Shah Committee in 1966 which states that "When the woman, (with or without the concurrence of her partner) feels that a particular pregnancy is intolerable and does not desire to bear the child.... [She] should be the master of her own body and decide the question of motherhood for herself”, women are not allowed to take the decision of abortion by her own. Her husband’s or parent’s approval is most needed thing for her decision. Even the practitioners also demand for the approval of woman’s husband or her parent’s. Despite of these, infrastructure also plays an important role in creating barriers for women’s access to safe abortion. If there is no appropriate and hygienic infrastructure, then women will approach to any doctor whether trained or not and adopt unsafe abortion which