Abortion in Anantapur: Your rights, risks & safe options
Several questions cloud the minds of women and girls seeking abortions. When remaining unanswered, women and girls often resort to unsafe abortions. Sometimes they are unaware of their reproductive rights. At other times, they act in a panic not knowing their safe abortion options. Or they choose an unsafe method over safe abortion fearing the kind of stigmas attached to abortions.
This post intends to help married women, unmarried girls, and single women seeking abortion in Anantapur know their reproductive rights. The real thing you may need to know is that unsafe abortions are the third major cause of maternal mortalities and morbidities in India.
This post is an initiative by a specialized abortion clinic to help women have access to safe abortions. American Hospital Bangalore (AHB) abortion team has come forward to help women access Comprehensive Abortion Care (CAC). The team has been providing safe, legal, confidential, painless, quick and comfortable abortion experiences since its founding in the year 1995.
Contents in this post:
Concerns of women seeking abortions for unwanted pregnancies:
What do you need to know legally regarding abortion in Anantapur?
Risks associated with abortions
Will anyone else know that you had an abortion?
The world today is debating over ‘pro-choice’ and ‘pro-life’. But what about the woman’s choice? What when the pregnancy is unwanted? What if the couple cannot give the child a healthy life? Can they choose to terminate the pregnancy early?
An unintentional pregnancy even for a married couple can disrupt the family economically, socially and in other respects. For unmarried girls, an unexpected pregnancy can further bring turmoil. An unmarried girl may find herself swirling in diverse thoughts on discovering she is pregnant.
Concerns of women seeking abortions for unwanted pregnancies:
We spoke to some girls in Anantapur and other cities of Andhra Pradesh. And here are some of the concerns and the things that we came across as their experiences. Most of the concerns were quite common. We are putting them here in their words. This is in the light of hope that you may find the answers you are looking for.
“What if my parents will know that I am pregnant. They will stop my studies.”
“I got pregnant out of a casual relationship. Neither I am looking forward to continuing the relationship nor can I take this pregnancy ahead. I don’t know what to do? Should I buy abortion pills and get free.”
“I cannot tell anyone that I am pregnant. My boyfriend left me on my own when I told him about this. I do not have any help. I cannot even confide in any friend. What should I do? I am even scared of buying abortion pills.”
“It was an intimate moment and now this pregnancy. I am scared of telling anyone. I want an abortion but I am scared of it too. What if somebody finds out about me being pregnant? Someone may tell my family. I would rather die before I let them learn of my pregnancy as a result of premarital sexual intimacy. What if my future partner learns that I have had an abortion in the past. My future will be ruined.”
And there are many similar and dissimilar concerns. But all of them revolve around pregnancy termination. However, these girls when asked knew nothing or very little regarding their safe abortion options. All they knew was getting abortion pills. To them, even hospitals will give them abortion pills.
What do you need to know legally regarding abortion in Anantapur?
Speaking of Anantapur, abortions are legal. And this is true throughout India. Abortions in India are legal on several grounds. The Indian abortion law respects women reproductive rights. Early in a pregnancy, any woman or girl can decide what to do with her pregnancy.
But there is a certain set of rules to make abortions as safe as possible. Therefore, the government has laid guidelines for abortion hospitals. Abortions are considered legal only when they are performed at registered abortion hospitals. The government has also brought forward guidelines on who can perform abortion and safe abortion methods. Even for abortion medicines and techniques, the government ensures their guidelines and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
Not only these but there are also rules to maintain the woman’s discretion in choosing an abortion. Any adult girl/woman has a legal right to obtain an abortion with her consent. Furthermore, the law also deems all personal information of any patient seeking an abortion to be kept confidential. Although the hospital is bound by the law, the public is not. So, it may always be best to visit a private abortion clinic for the want of a confidential abortion.
The government is trying its best to provide safe abortions to all women. However, educating the masses is challenging and is yet to meet the demand. But each little step can take us a step ahead. And that’s what the American Hospital endeavors to do. By this attempt of theirs, they are doing their part in preventing risks with abortions.
Educating the public about their legal rights and also helping them in obtaining safe abortions can save thousands of lives each year. Risks with abortions can be from mild to severe but should never be ignored.
Who can get an abortion in Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh, India?
Abortions in India are legal for all girls and women alike regardless of their marital status. Whether you are married or unmarried, you can get a legal abortion. It makes no difference in the eyes of laws. But the law cannot take away the stigma attached to premarital sexual relationship, pregnancy and abortion.
Also, the law cannot guarantee that you may not meet a neighbor as a fellow patient in the hospital. Nor can the law restrict the hospital to provide personalized abortion care. It is only the American Hospital Bangalore (AHB) which is a boutique abortion clinic. It provides Gentle Care abortions. Gentle Care abortions are painless, comfortable, quick, successful, risk-free, stress-free and confidential.
Let us see the conditions in which a woman can get an abortion in India.
The legally permissible abortion in India conditions:
Contraceptive failure:
In events where the contraceptive failure results in an unplanned pregnancy, abortion is permissible. There are several contraceptive methods and there is a possibility of probable failure with each of them. If your pregnancy is a result of contraceptive failure, you can get a legal abortion.
You can obtain it only with your consent if you are an adult. You may choose not to involve your parents or your partner.
If you are seeking an abortion alone, please make sure whether the abortion hospital provides abortion without an attendant. In a government hospital, Anantapur, you may be asked to bring a companion. In certain cases, you may also need to get hospitalized a day before the abortion.
But Gentle Care abortions at AHB do not need hospitalization in most cases. The patient if cannot bring a companion can also have an abortion. A supporting nurse shall stay by her side from start to the finish. And after the patient has sufficiently rested, she can take an Uber to her homestay or hotel room. She can return to Anantapur the following day after a night’s rest. You can travel by bus or train or can take a cab. Or visit by your car. It is nearly a 3-4 hours drive.
So, with Gentle Care abortion, you may choose to visit the hospital alone. You can get a quick, painless and comfortable abortion and recover in your private room. Most women and girls feel absolutely comfortable in less than half an hour and take discharge. Do not worry if you are alone or do not have a partner to stand by your side. The caring, compassionate and friendly nurses at AHB are there to support you throughout your abortion journey.
Schedule an early appointment for Gentle Care abortion today.
To protect woman’s health and/or life:
There are many high-risk pregnancies. Such pregnancies can pose a threat to the patient’s health and wellbeing. The law permits abortions where continuing with pregnancy poses a threat to the woman’s physical and/or mental health and/or life.
Protecting the pregnant woman’s health and life is the priority. And the law ensures this. In life-threatening conditions, there is no ceiling age up to when a woman can get an abortion. It is legally available at any time during the pregnancy. However, if the child survives during a late-stage abortion, there are other sets of rules to take care of the neonate.
Fetal anomalies:
Prenatal scanning has made it possible to detect certain fetal deformities in the early stages. The Indian abortion law permits abortions in such events. In the countries like the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, and Bahrain, abortions are permissible for fetal anomalies. But the law allows abortions only for a limited number of deformities.
Whereas, abortion in India is permissible for almost all kinds of fetal disorders. The law permits abortions in such events for up to 24 weeks. However, many women with legal aid have obtained abortions in such cases even beyond this ceiling period.
Rape/Incest:
It is sad but a fact that rapes can result in unwanted pregnancies. Such pregnancies can pose a threat to the victim’s mental and emotional wellbeing. Abortion in India is legal when the pregnancy is a result of sexual assault.
And unlike countries where rape has to be legally proved, in India, it is not necessary. A girl or woman survivor can complain about it as per her wishes. She doesn’t need to prove the sexual assault before obtaining an abortion for this reason.
Abortion methods:
Abortion in India is available for up to 20 weeks in normal cases. However, the abortion methods vary depending on several factors. These include how far the woman is in pregnancy, her pregnancy location and her medical condition.
As recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) and also accepted in India for safe abortions, the abortion methods are:
- The medical abortion method with abortion pills available for up to 6-8 weeks in pregnancy.
- Vacuum aspiration abortion method with suction for up to 12 weeks.
- Surgical abortion or Dilatation and Evacuation (D&E) for up to 20 weeks.
These methods are for terminating only intrauterine or normal pregnancies. Ectopic pregnancies are differently treated. It is essential to rule out such complications before prescribing any abortion method. The choice of the method depends largely on the patient’s overall medical condition.
Abortion with pills: Medical abortion method:
This is the earliest abortion method for terminating pregnancies less than 6-8 weeks. The two safe pills help in inducing natural miscarriage. However, there are certain cons of medical abortion. These include:
- Risk of incomplete abortion
- Heavy bleeding
- Moderate to severe pain
- The waiting period is high before the abortion is successful
- Discomfort and fatigue
- Pregnancy symptoms subside gradually
- May need more than 1 appointment
Due to these patient-disturbing factors, women often prefer Gentle Care suction abortion. The Gentle Care suction abortion has several advantages over abortion pills.
Vacuum Aspiration abortion method (Gentle Care suction abortion at AHB):
This is the abortion method for terminating pregnancies less than 12 weeks or first-trimester pregnancies. In this method, the doctor applies suction to remove the embryo. The doctor may do it either manually or with the help of an electric aspirator.
The abdominal cramps, pain and bleeding may depend on the performing doctor’s management of the case. Besides, it depends on the tools and techniques used to aspirate the embryo.
Gentle Care suction abortion is the specialized abortion technique by the American Hospital Bangalore. The nurse helps the patient to lie down in a comfortable position. Then, she cleans the cervix region to prevent the occurrence of infections.
Next, the doctor gently pulls the pregnancy tissue using a hand-held aspirator. This allows the doctor to control the amount of pressure which may vary from patient to patient. Besides, the doctor shall evaluate the collected tissue to evaluate if the abortion is successful.
The procedure is absolutely painless and comfortable. It gets completed in less than 5 minutes. The patient can resume her routine activities the same day itself. Unlike medical abortion, the bleeding is nearly zero to a minimum.
Since you plan to visit Bangalore from Anantapur for Gentle Care abortion, you can rest overnight at a homestay. You can call the AHB helpline number. The coordinator can make your travel arrangements.
She will also book your homestay on Airbnb for a comfortable stay and rest overnight. You can mention your preferences for the kind of travel and homestay you may want.
However, the hospital provides this VIP service package only on appointments. And most of the seats get filled in quick. You may not want to delay since the delay can narrow down your abortion choices.
Surgical or Dilatation and Evacuation (D&E) abortion (Gentle Care surgical abortion):
Surgical abortion is necessary to terminate pregnancies that are beyond 12 weeks but less than 20 weeks. By this time, the embryo size increases to an extent that it may not be possible to completely remove it only with suction.
At a registered abortion hospital, the surgical abortion is performed with the patient under anesthesia. This makes the procedure painless and comfortable for the patient.
Speaking of Gentle Care surgical abortions available at AHB, they provide personalized care to each patient. The procedure is done keeping the patient’s comfort and needs at a priority. The nurse helps the patient prepare for the abortion.
After the introduction of anesthesia, the doctor gently dilates the cervix region. Next, she may gently detach the embryo and other pregnancy tissue from the uterine lining. Then, she may use an aspirator similar to the suction method to collect the detached tissue. The whole procedure takes between 10-30 minutes to complete.
The patient can then recover privately in her private room. She may get discharged the same day itself. The use of uterovaginal packaging will shorten her stay at the hospital. And she can return to her homestay without any pain, fear, bleeding or doubts. The abortion gets completed within the clinic.
Gentle Care surgical abortion is available for aborting pregnancies between 12 and 20 weeks. Delaying is not appreciable when seeking an abortion. An increase in the pregnancy length also increases the complications with abortion.
Speak on the AHB helpline number to schedule your abortion appointment.
Risks associated with abortions:
Abortions performed at registered abortion clinics are highly safe. However, certain risks and complications can complicate even a simple abortion. But the best part is that all of these risks are preventable with a proper diagnosis. When the doctor carefully evaluates the patient’s medical condition before prescribing any abortion method, the procedure can be risk-free.
For instance, ectopic pregnancies are not rare. And if a doctor prescribes abortion pills without ruling out this complication, the patient can get into a life-threatening complication. The same stands true for the self-administration of abortion pills. When women and girls pop in abortion pills without consultation with the gynecologist, they may get into trouble.
Many patients in such cases seek medical care in emergencies. By that time, the complications have worsened badly and the doctors find it difficult to save the patient. Sometimes, although the patient’s life is saved, she may suffer at the hands of life-long complications.
With a ruptured ectopic pregnancy, she may have to lose her partial or complete fertility. She may find it difficult in conceiving in future. She may be unmarried today and seeking an abortion. But tomorrow, she may want to be a mother with a risk-free pregnancy.
Some other risks with unsafe abortions include heavy bleeding, unmanageable pain, severe abdominal cramps, infections, allergies and more. Some severe infections, if left untreated can even cause sepsis, which is again a fatal condition.
So, it is advisable to never attempt a self-abortion.
Gentle Care abortions are performed only after a complete evaluation of the patient’s condition. Some routine investigations and ultrasounds can prevent all these complications. Besides the hospital’s hygiene care plays an important role in preventing infections. The hospital ensures CAC that starts with the patient’s first call and lasts through post-abortion recovery.
Will anyone else know that you had an abortion?
The abortion law protects confidentiality in terms that the hospital cannot disclose any patient details to anyone. However, can the law stop you from meeting an acquaintance at a hospital in the same city as your residence? What if the doctor or the nurse or someone else at the hospital knows your family? You may even spot a neighbor or a friend in the crowded waiting hall. Can you tell them that you are there because you want an abortion?
Well, if any of these things are bothering you, please relax. Gentle Care abortion is absolutely confidential. The hospital does not disclose any personal or medical details of any patient to anyone. Moreover, it is located in a distant city. No one sees you coming in, no one sees you going out. Furthermore, the hospital provides abortions only by appointment. So, neither you get to wait for your turn, nor do you get to see any fellow patient.
Above that, no one in the future will be able to tell that you have had an abortion in the past with Gentle Care suction abortion. It is a non-invasive procedure that leaves no marks or signs of abortion.
Please stay informed that most of the slots for Gentle Care abortion remain prebooked for up to a week. And a delay in a week can shorten your abortion options. Make sure to call the helpline number at the earliest to know which is the earliest abortion slot available.
Schedule an early appointment today!
Related posts:
- Why women prefer Bangalore over abortion in Coimbatore?
- Do abortions hurt? How long does the pain last?
- Cost of abortion: Medical vs Surgical methods of abortion
- Post-abortion: How to cope up, heal early and live better
- First Trimester Abortion: Everything you may need to know!
Quick links:
- Abortion at 20 weeks pregnancy: What to do and how to plan?
- Cost of an abortion and the factors involved
- Safe, Confidential and Legal Abortion in India
- MTP in Bangalore – How to choose the best MTP doctors or MTP Clinic?
- Everything you need to know about surgical abortion in Bangalore India
Leave a Comment