Where to obtain safe and confidential abortion in Abu Dhabi
Are you living in the UAE? Probably, you might have explored life in Abu Dhabi, the capital city and also the second-most populous of the country. And may have witnessed the spotlights.
Undeniably, Abu Dhabi is home to marina towers, skyline’s modern towers and shopping mega centres. But the equilibrium scale between urbanization and women access to safe abortions is like an imbalanced see-saw.
Women in Abu Dhabi or any other part of UAE just like other Middle East countries suffer immensely when unwanted pregnancies knock on their doors.
This post intends to help women in Abu Dhabi and other places in UAE to know their safe, legal and confidential abortion options.
The abortion decision:
Many times, many diverse circumstances may conclude in unwanted pregnancies. This is very true not for a single place or a country, but across the globe. However, continuing the pregnancy may not always be the priority.
Is it essential that if a woman gets pregnant, she has to carry on with it without her will?
Or does she have an option of terminating an unwanted pregnancy if she so desires?
Can she opt out of an unwanted pregnancy anytime throughout the gestation period?
These and many other concerns add up when it comes to taking one of the biggest decisions of life: abortion.
Unwanted pregnancies usually have only two options:
- Continue the pregnancy
- Terminate the pregnancy
Continue the pregnancy:
Continuing the pregnancy as an option is entirely personal. It is the woman and the couple’s decision and they can willfully choose to continue the pregnancy.
But there are many circumstances where the woman and her partner or the couple may look the other side of the coin.
Terminate the pregnancy:
Pregnancy termination or an induced abortion should also be the choice of the woman or the couple. Sadly, but it is not so! A woman anywhere cannot terminate an unwanted pregnancy for the reason that she does not want to continue with it.
Abortions in different countries are governed by the abortion rules of that country. And all the citizens and the residents of that country, including expatriates have to follow the same rules.
Non-compliance with the rules may end up in harsh consequences like imprisonment and other forms of punishment.
Since this post is dedicated to the women in Abu Dhabi, let us focus on abortion rules there.
Abortion rules in Abu Dhabi, UAE:
Abu Dhabi is a city in UAE and hence, follows the same rules as framed by the country under the UAE Penal Code Section 340.
When is an abortion in the UAE permissible?
According to these rules, abortion in Abu Dhabi or anywhere in the UAE is illegal. There are two exceptions to the rule that make the set of abortion rules highly restricted.
These include:
- To save the woman’s life.
- In case of fetal anomalies.
However, these two exceptions are also not as easy as they may seem as available options. Reading further will help you understand the complexities behind them.
To whom is an abortion in the UAE legally available?
Legal abortions in the aforementioned cases are available only to married women. And married women have to prove that they are married through a valid marriage registration certificate.
Since most of the population in Abu Dhabi and other parts of the UAE are ex-pats from different countries, their lifestyles are different. They come from different cultural backgrounds, regions, philosophies, religious beliefs and many more. Additionally, each person is unique in how he/she thinks and what he/she does.
They may have a premarital sexual relationship or maybe cohabiting. Such relationships may also end in unwanted pregnancies. Earlier in the UAE, cohabitation and premarital sex were considered criminal acts. Although, they have been decriminalized last year in 2020, however, abortions are still not available options.
Such couples can go back to their native countries, give birth to the child and return if they decide on taking the pregnancy ahead. The child to an unmarried woman or a single mother is not registered without parents’ marriage certificate.
So, such couples may plan to visit any other country where abortions are legal, obtain a safe abortion and return to Abu Dhabi. This may be their best option since illegal abortions are usually unsafe and can be highly dangerous.
Till when is an abortion in Abu Dhabi allowed?
In case to save the woman’s life:
Abortions for the aforementioned cases are allowed in Abu Dhabi, UAE for a limited window. No specific term is mentioned in the law for the clause of saving the woman’s life. However, the law states that abortion to save a woman’s life may be performed only in the government hospital.
And a panel of three doctors first certify with their independent opinions that abortion is essential for protecting the woman’s life.
In events of fetal anomalies:
For the clause of fetal anomalies, the law states that an abortion may be performed up to 17 weeks or 120 days into pregnancy.
And many fetal anomalies are detected after 17 weeks, what’s the option for such cases then?
Moreover, abortions can be obtained only for a very limited number of deformities. Not all are included. And once the mark of 120 days is exceeded, abortion is not an available option.
Whose consent is needed for abortion in Abu Dhabi?
We earlier spoke of that the country is known worldwide for its modern structures but not for women’s reproductive choices. This can be seen in the fact that a woman cannot give her consent for a legal abortion even if it is needed in permissible cases.
Abortion in the UAE is available with the consent of the husband or the guardian and that too only when permitted.
Although abortion rules are highly stringent in the UAE, they cannot stop unwanted pregnancies from happening. There are reasons like contraceptive failure, sexual assaults, getting physically intimate when not fully conscious and similar that may get a woman pregnant without her will.
Do such women have no safe options to terminate their pregnancies?
If you are one such woman or are trying to help one, this post will help you know why you should not attempt an unsafe abortion. Also, where and how you can have a safe, legal and confidential abortion with ease and comfort.
Never attempt a self-abortion or an unsafe abortion:
Even if you are carrying an unwanted pregnancy, your health should be your priority. Unsafe abortions may lead you to very harsh consequences. Hence, you should never attempt a Do It Yourself (DIY) abortion or a self-abortion.
Let us briefly discuss why should you not buy abortion pills in Abu Dhabi or resort to unsafe abortion.
Illegal:
The first thing is that abortion in the UAE is illegal. So, you may not get abortion pills legally available at any abortion clinic in Dubai or Abu Dhabi.
If you try to make them available illegally by buying abortion pills online or through other unreliable resources, you are conducting a criminal act according to the laws of the UAE.
For breaking the law, you and your helper(s) may be put behind the bars for up to seven big years. And that is something that you may not want. Do you?
And there may be other forms of punishment too.
Privacy concerns and stigma:
Next, if caught you may have to face the societal stigma. You may be trying to hide your pregnancy and abortion. But by being caught, it will no longer remain something known to you only. Your family and society will get acquainted with the fact of your pregnancy and you trying to avail of abortion.
In the case of unmarried girls, the condition could be further worse. They are neither allowed to terminate their pregnancies if caught before abortion nor the babies born are registered. Such girls are left in society to live on their own.
Even health insurers won’t cover unmarried maternity care. It is only a woman who knows how she may feel when being looked down upon. Even after getting out of jail, her personal and professional life may be ruined.
Abortion in Abu Dhabi is not available to women who get pregnant out of forced intimacy or rape. They also have to carry on their pregnancies legally without any support from the government. And society sees abortions already as a disgrace and call it ‘haraam’.
Moreover, their lives are also ruined having to live as single mothers all to themselves. Upon opting for illegal abortions or unsafe abortions, they risk their health and lives. Let’s see how.
Risks of unsafe abortion to health and life:
Buying abortion pills in Abu Dhabi may be your worst decision when it comes to your health and life. There are many complications and side-effects besides the risks. These are:
Abortion pills in Abu Dhabi
Risk of incomplete abortion:
In case the medicines you buy are fake:
Abortion pills that you may buy from the black market or through online illegal suppliers may be fake or expired. They may be of substandard quality.
Many scamsters want to make money out of people’s worrisome issues. They take undue advantage of their situations and may give you fake medicines. These may not work as expected.
Even you may not know what you are buying will work or not. You may take the pills as directed by such frauds. And then you are left all on your own.
The pills may lead you to face heavy bleeding, abdominal cramps, pain and discomfort. The pain may be unbearable for some women. And what may come as a dismay to you is that the bleeding hasn’t stopped even after 7-10 days.
Or your condition may worsen so much within 2-3 days, that you may need immediate medical attention. These may lead to an incomplete abortion. It means that all the products of conception have not been able to wash out from your womb.
In case you buy safe abortion pills in UAE:
Even if you manage to get safe abortion pills in Abu Dhabi, they are not 100% efficient. Hence, there is always a risk of incomplete abortion. However, with spurious medicines and fake or expired ones, this risk is higher.
A woman in the UAE went into such a complication and had to be taken to the hospital. Her blood sample revealed the presence of Misoprostol, an abortifacient. As a result, she was legally tried for getting an abortion. Read full report.
In case abortion pills were not properly administered:
Do you know that abortion pills do not work as expected when the gestation period is longer than 8 weeks?
If you tend to take them when you are far in your pregnancy, there are higher chances of incomplete abortion.
Besides, you may not know when and how to administer the abortion pills for best results. Some women may need oral administration and some others may require intravaginal mode. These are the patient-specific parameters that unprofessional or illegal suppliers will never tell you.
Other than that, many women may be allergic to abortion pills. And there may be others who are taking some medicines for some other medical conditions that can interfere with the working of abortion pills. Again, the result can be an incomplete abortion.
And what next? You may need corrective surgery to complete your abortion. Now, when abortion in Abu Dhabi in the first place was not legally available to you, how can you have a legal corrective surgery.
Risk of internal injury:
Now, in case your abortion was incomplete and you visit an unprofessional for corrective surgery. Such people may not know how and what to do as a part of the safe abortion procedure.
Surgical abortions may be performed only by qualified, trained and experienced healthcare professionals. And that too in proper healthcare settings with approved medical equipment, tools and medicines.
Can you expect such a professional abortion experience at the hands of an unprofessional? It is impossible.
And hence, there are vivid chances of getting an internal injury. Your reproductive organs may get hurt and you may be left on your own if you bleed heavily. It is an emergency situation and can risk your life if immediate medical care is not provided to you.
This may even be fatal.
Risk to future pregnancies:
In case your reproductive organs get hurt, it may negatively impact your future pregnancies. Your womb may get distorted or damaged, your ovaries may get hurt or fallopian tubes may get injured.
Any of these may impact your future fertility and you may not get pregnant when trying to conceive. We are sure, you may not want to experience this.
Risk of infections:
In unprofessional settings, you cannot expect hygienic premises or sterile equipment or even any medication or other care to prevent infections. Sepsis after unsafe abortions has been one of the biggest reasons worldwide resulting in maternal mortalities.
Risk of ectopic pregnancies:
Now, this is a very important thing to be known for any woman who has discovered that she is pregnant. Whether you are carrying a wanted or unwanted pregnancy, there may be chances that your pregnancy is located at the wrong place.
What is intrauterine or normal pregnancy and how is it different?
Normal pregnancies are the ones where the embryo after fertilization travels to the uterus and gets implanted there. It prepares the womb for pregnancy and starts developing further. Such pregnancies are called intrauterine pregnancies.
However, in some cases, the fertilized egg fails to reach the womb and starts growing anywhere else. Such a place may be the fallopian tube or the abdominal cavity or cervix region, etc. These pregnancies being outside the uterus are known as extrauterine or ectopic pregnancies.
Detection of ectopic pregnancy:
Such ectopic pregnancies may have your period missed and may even reveal Urine Pregnancy Test (UPT) positive. Even a blood examination will reveal that you are pregnant. But what it will not tell you is the location of the pregnancy. And it can be revealed only by ultrasound. Most likely, a transvaginal scan may be needed to ensure the location of the pregnancy accurately.
How is ectopic pregnancy risky?
Situation 1:
Now, if you do not have an ultrasound and the ectopic pregnancy continues to grow, it may be highly dangerous. Your pregnancy will keep growing until the location like the fallopian tube, for instance, is unable to sustain the growing embryo.
As soon as it fails to sustain any further, it may rupture. This may lead to internal bleeding. It is an emergency. And it may require the removal of your fallopian tube and the attached ovary to save your life.
Your life may be saved with immediate medical aid. But your fertility would be impacted and the probability of getting pregnant in future may reduce to half.
Situation 2:
Another situation may be where the pregnancy is unwanted, is ectopic and you take abortion pills in Abu Dhabi illegally.
Now, there is the most important thing with such a case and important for you to know. It is that the abortion pills will not work in case of an ectopic pregnancy. You may experience pain, bleeding and feel that abortion has taken place.
But the embryo may continue to grow and rupture shortly. This again is a medical emergency and may even lead to the patient’s death.
And if you receive medical aid on time, your life may be saved. But you may have to undergo a legal trial in the UAE for having an abortion.
Traumatic experience:
In any case of complication, the trauma cannot be ignored. Abortions are usually safe when performed following the guidelines of Comprehensive Abortion Care (CAC). It ensures the physical, mental as well as psychological well-being of the patient.
Abortions should not make a woman feel pain or guilty or discouraged. But unsafe abortions are not performed under hygienic conditions. Many women often receive harsh comments both for getting pregnant and for abortion. So, they are neither medically safe nor safe on emotional grounds.
And pain, you may think of it torturous. Ask any woman who has had an unsafe abortion in past. Or read the report below:
But, do you know there is an abortion option for you that is legal, safe as well as confidential?
Yes, women in Abu Dhabi, Dubai or anywhere in the UAE can have a safe abortion for an unwanted pregnancy. Let’s come to that.
Travelling to American Hospital Bangalore (AHB) from Abu Dhabi for a legal, safe and confidential abortion:
India is the best abortion destination for Middle East women because abortion in India is legal. And it is so for many cases where it is illegal in the UAE. You can obtain a legal abortion in India for the reason of:
- Contraceptive failure is responsible for nearly 25% of unwanted pregnancies.
- Rape/incest/sexual assault may be nearly equally responsible for unwanted pregnancies.
- To protect the woman’s health that may be in terms of physical or mental and/or her life.
- In case of fetal anomalies.
Next, other benefits include:
- You can obtain an abortion in Bangalore for up to 20 weeks in general circumstances and up to 24 weeks in special cases.
- Abortion in India is available on the woman’s sole content if she is above 18 years.
- Abortion in India is available legally to all women, either married or unmarried or divorced or single or widow, etc.
Visiting AHB for abortion in Bangalore will have the following benefits and even more:
- Registered and certified abortion clinic
- Best abortion team
- Painless and Gentle Care abortion
- Single-day abortion procedures
- Nearly 100% efficient procedures
- Experienced doctors and nurses who are internationally recognized for their safe abortion procedures.
- Private and personalized abortion care. No personal questions asked.
- Caring, compassionate and supportive staff
- No waiting periods
- Non-judgmental doctors and staff members.
- Multilingual staff for women speaking different languages.
And still, many other things make AHB the best abortion hospital. Women from Dubai, Sharjah, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman and many other regions travel for safe abortion in Bangalore, India.
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