Abortion in Kuwait Versus Abortion in India
Kuwait, a country in Western Asia, with its capital Kuwait City has been known well in history for being a highly strategic trade port between Mesopotamia and India.
But no one knew that what was once known as the trade route will turn out to be a sigh of relief for women in Kuwait seeking safe abortions. Since women in Kuwait have very limited abortion options, they cannot avail of safe abortions there for major reasons like a contraceptive failure or unmarried girl abortions or abortions for pregnancies that are a result of rape/incest.
They often seek safe abortions in neighboring countries. Since the immediate neighbors also do not have liberal abortion laws, the majority of women from Kuwait have been travelling to India to seek safe abortions.
Several reasons guide their choice of flying to India.
But can you or should you randomly travel to India for an abortion?
If you are living in Kuwait and are undergoing the physical and mental pressure of not being able to terminate an unwanted pregnancy, then this post is for you to know your best abortion in India option.
The legal status of abortion in Kuwait City, Kuwait:
If you are carrying an unwanted pregnancy in Kuwait and wish to terminate the same, you need to know what are your options for abortion in Kuwait.
In Kuwait, abortion laws are highly strict and abortions are legally permissible only for a limited number of situations. These are:
- Risk to mother’s health (physical/mental)
- In case of fetal anomalies (deformity/ unviability only)
In the aforementioned cases also, abortion in Kuwait is legal only for married women and the permissible gestation period is only 17 weeks.
Situations that do not permit a legal abortion in Kuwait:
You cannot avail of a legal abortion in Kuwait if:
- Your pregnancy is a result of an immoral act like rape/incest. This is a huge burden on a woman when she is undergoing both physical as well as mental shock and still has no legal way out of it. Moreover, in a country like Kuwait, families consider this as a hard blow to their social status.
- You are pregnant out of wedlock, you are unmarried or divorced or a widow.
- Contraceptives you took failed to result in an unwanted pregnancy.
- You do not want a child for social reasons like already a complete family or you are not ready for parenting. Many couples in Kuwait have both working partners and they may not want a child when they are trying to go ahead in their career. But they do not have a legal abortion option open in Kuwait and in such events they end up with unsafe methods for terminating unwanted pregnancies.
- You do not want a child for economic reasons. You may think whether you’ll be able to provide the unborn child with all the basic needs, good education and life. Many couples may at some point in their life think of not having a child due to economic reasons and they may end up with an unwanted pregnancy as a result of contraceptive failure. But they cannot avail a legal abortion in Kuwait even if they wish to terminate the ongoing pregnancy.
Abortion in Kuwait that you should never attempt:
Are you living in Kuwait and carrying an unwanted pregnancy?
Are you seeking a way out of it but you find the legal door shut?
What are you planning to do? Are you seeking to purchase abortion pills illegally?
Are you seeking an unsafe method of abortion that is illegal? Do you know what are the health implications of an unsafe abortion?
Do you know the risks and side-effects associated with an unsafe abortion?
Do you know the legal adversities you can face if you get caught of having availed an illegal abortion in Kuwait?
Abortion in Kuwait is punishable:
Do you know if you avail of unsafe abortion for any reason that is not legal in Kuwait, you can be imprisoned for a minimum of three and a maximum of 15 years?
Please do not play with your health and life and never go for an illegal and unsafe abortion. That may be the worst decision.
Are you fed up and are unable to find your best option?
If yes, then you must certainly read ahead. This post is for you and many women like you undergoing similar situations.
The first and the most important thing is to relax and feel free. We do understand how and what you may be feeling right now. And we are concerned for you, your reproductive rights and your health above all, which is why we have come up with this post.
No woman should ever opt for unsafe abortion. It is better to search for the best options and that can be sought only by a relaxed mind. An agitated and confused mind may have you fall into pitfalls, some of which can be very serious. It is better to gather the necessary knowledge and make a wise choice that is best for your health and life.
Abortion in India for women coming from Kuwait:
Now, what if we tell you that you do have an abortion option that may be best for you in terms of health, safety, legality as well as confidentiality?
Yes, you do have choices just like any other woman travelling to India for a safe, legal and confidential abortion.
The legal status of abortion in India:
Compared to Kuwait, abortion in India is legal under broad circumstances. Indian law recognizes the importance of Comprehensive Abortion Care (CAC) and has drafted laws accordingly. Since the majority of women every year face maternal mortalities and morbidities resulting from unsafe abortions, Indian law has taken the issue on a serious note and has always advocated for the reproductive rights of women.
For reasons for which you cannot avail of legal abortion in Kuwait, you can obtain one in India and that too without breaking any law, without putting your health and life at risk and without letting anyone know about the same.
You can avail of abortion in India in events where:
- Your pregnancy is a result of contraceptive failure. The majority of women throughout the world get pregnant as a result of contraceptive failure. But they do not have legal options available at hand for terminating such pregnancies at will. They either resort to unsafe abortion methods which further is threatening to their health and lives or they equip themselves with the knowledge and make a wise decision that can help them access CAC legally, safely and confidentially.
- Your pregnancy is a result of rape/incest. In Kuwait, you cannot obtain an abortion for this, but in India, you can.
- Fetal anomalies have been detected. In Kuwait, you can avail of legal abortion for this case up to 17 weeks, but in India, for such special cases, you have an abortion as an open option up to 20 weeks in general cases and 24 weeks under special circumstances.
- If ongoing pregnancy can threaten your physical/mental health or life. In Kuwait, again this option is open only for married women and only up to 17 weeks. In India, you can avail of abortion for this reason even if you are unmarried and for up to 20 weeks of gestation.
Besides the abortion circumstances, travelling to India also offers several other benefits like:
- Gestation length: You can avail of abortion up to 20 weeks under normal circumstances as compared to 17 weeks in Kuwait under restricted circumstances.
- Consent for abortion: In India, only the consent of the woman is sought for an abortion. Whereas in Kuwait, consent of both mother and father is required. A woman at her will cannot obtain a legal abortion.
- Abortion clinic: In Kuwait, one can obtain an abortion only at the State Hospital by the registered practitioner. Whereas, in India, abortion can be performed by any registered medical practitioner having the necessary qualifications and training to perform the same at any registered abortion clinic. Even private institutes can be visited for abortions, unlike Kuwait.
- The doctor panel: For permissible circumstances, in Kuwait, whether an abortion can or should be performed is deemed necessary by a panel of three registered gynaecologists and the panel is headed by a chairman specialist. Unlike Kuwait, up to 20 weeks of gestation length, consultation and prescription of an abortion by a single registered practitioner/gynaecologist is deemed legal and valid.
- Criminalization: In India, abortion is illegal only if it is not performed at a registered abortion clinic by a non-professional and if done at a gestation length beyond the permissible age.
The best take: The best part of Indian abortion law for a woman who is a citizen or a resident of Kuwait or an expatriate residing there is that her abortion in India will be governed by the same set of rules as for any other woman who is either an Indian citizen or has travelled from a foreign land seeking a safe abortion.
Travelling to Bangalore, India for abortion: A wise choice:
Indian law makes it your best and nearest choice for a safe abortion. But India is a vast country and you need to know your best option even in India.
Coming to the same, Bangalore is a metropolitan city that has been considered as a favourite medical destination for many medical procedures, abortion being one of them.
Here’s an ultimate guide into what you can expect when you seek a safe abortion in Bangalore, India.
Location:
The first thing that might come to your mind is how you can travel to Bangalore from Kuwait. So, India is a neighbour to Kuwait and you can easily plan a short abortion trip. Non-stop flights take nearly 5 hours to get you to Bangalore from Kuwait. Some other connecting flights take halts in between but even they are readily available. You can choose from the best options available.
Healthcare facilities:
The next thing that makes Bangalore a favourite abortion destination is the availability of world-class health infrastructure. Here, all the recommended methods of abortion are available, the best abortion doctors are available and the hospitals are furnished with all necessary facilities and even state-of-the-art infrastructure to make your stay comfortable.
Best Abortion clinic in Bangalore: American Hospital Bangalore (AHB): The Safest Choice
Though there are several registered abortion clinics in India, the majority of women from within the country and from abroad have recommended travelling to American Hospital Bangalore for its gentle care abortions, which are exclusive to AHB.
To know why most women who have received gentle care abortion services recommend AHB for safe abortions, keep reading further.
Scheduling an appointment:
In abortion, delays are never preferred since each passing day narrows down the abortion procedure choices and intensifies the number of associated complications and risks. Hence, it is best to have the earliest possible abortion appointment.
Appointment for abortion at AHB: At AHB, your scheduling an appointment is just a call away. And you know what, all abortion procedures at AHB are single-day procedures. You can get discharged the same day and travel back to Kuwait the next day. You can take a rest at a homestay or a hotel or a resort for a night or as you may seem fit for you.
Gentle Care abortion procedures at AHB:
At AHB, all procedures for abortion are available as are recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). These are decided upon by the doctor to prescribe you the most subtle abortion procedure for your specific case which is both effective as well as efficient so that you can go back to Kuwait with the confidence of having availed a safe and successful abortion.
WHO has recommended three types of safe procedures for abortions according to the gestation length. These are all available at AHB and here is a brief description of all of them. This is to give you a likely idea of what are your abortion options.
What is your gestation length?
If you don’t know your gestation length, just drop the first date of your last menstrual period (LMP) in the comment box and we will let you know your pregnancy period and options you have accordingly. Or you can also write to us or send a private message.
The Medical method of abortion:
The medical method of abortion is an option for terminating early pregnancies, i.e., the ones that are between 6-8 weeks. It is done with the help of abortion pills. But, never opt to self-administer them since they may have serious side effects that you may not know. Pills can be administered orally or may even be inserted vaginally as the doctor seems fit for you.
The abortion pills are a combination of medicines with one pill given at the hospital and the second pill may be given to you to take at home after few hours. Both the medicines together work to carry out an abortion where the embryo comes out just like menstrual flow.
For a woman coming from Kuwait to Bangalore for abortion, it is her option if:
- She is less than 8 weeks pregnant.
- Pregnancy is intrauterine.
Things you should know if the medical method of abortion is your choice:
- This method needs either two appointments or can be performed in a single appointment but the abortion will take a few hours and even more than a day to happen. So, if you are at the hotel or while you are travelling or have returned to Kuwait only after taking pills, you will have to wait for up to a week to know whether the abortion is complete apart from the discomfort and anxiety that you may have along the way.
- Since the medical method of abortion is not more than 98% efficient, there may be chances of an incomplete abortion which will have to be eventually completed by surgical method and you will have to visit again to avail the same.
- Abortion by this method may be accompanied by moderate to severe pain and moderate to heavy vaginal bleeding. This may lead to discomfort and nearly off time from work.
Why should you not self-administer abortion pills in Kuwait?
- It is illegal and if caught, you will be punished for the same.
- In event of any complication such as severe bleeding or serious pain or incomplete abortion, how will you manage such a situation? Can you go to a state hospital and tell the doctors that you self-administered abortion pills and now you are in this condition?
- It is very crucial to check for the location of the pregnancy before administering abortion pills. How can you get this diagnosis in a country where you have no choice of terminating an unwanted pregnancy?
- There are cases of ectopic pregnancy where the fertilized egg is not in the uterus but the fallopian tube or nearby. If you take abortion pills in such an event without having checked for pregnancy to be intrauterine, abortion will not take place. An ectopic pregnancy can even be fatal if it continues to grow there. Only a transvaginal scan can confirm if you have ectopic pregnancy at an early stage where it can be treated even with pills. But, how can you obtain it in Kuwait?
This is is why, at AHB, before prescribing with any abortion methods, location and length of pregnancy is confirmed to avoid complications.
Vacuum Aspiration Method of abortion (VA):
This method is the recommended abortion method for pregnancies that are less than 12 weeks. At AHB, it is a very gentle procedure.
Here is all you may want to know:
- Firstly, the length and location of the pregnancy will be confirmed. And if it is intrauterine with a length not more than 12 weeks, then you can expect to be prescribed this method. Even for pregnancies that are less than 8 weeks can have their abortions by this method due to its advantages like a single appointment procedure, painless, gentle and efficiency (nearly 100%).
- It is a single appointment procedure that lasts not more than 3-10 minutes.
- At AHB, it is done under anaesthesia to make the procedure comfortable and painless.
- A slender tube-like instrument is inserted through the vagina, suction applied and the embryo gently removed out.
- Since the doctors at AHB are highly qualified and experienced, you can expect zero to minimum bleeding.
- You will feel better in just about half an hour or so and you can go to your hotel, take a night’s rest and return via your next scheduled flight.
- Since the procedure is nearly 100% efficient, when you go back, you will be stress-free since the abortion will be complete and you can resume your routine work in a couple of days.
Surgical method of abortion or Dilatation and Evacuation (D&E) method of abortion:
This method is the recommended procedure for pregnancies that have progressed beyond 12 weeks, but not more than 20 weeks. At AHB, it is a very gentle and efficient procedure.
Here is all you may want to know:
- Your doctor will likely prescribe this method for your unwanted pregnancy termination if the gestation length is more than 12 weeks but still falls in the legally permissible age.
- It is also a single appointment procedure that lasts not more than 30 minutes.
- At AHB, it is painless and performed under anaesthesia to keep the patient relaxed during the procedure and also to make it a gentle care abortion.
- The method involves the gentle removal of all gestation products from the uterus by slender medical tools. The uterine lining is gently abraded to complete the abortion.
- You can expect zero to minimum bleeding since maximum contents would have been already evacuated.
- You will feel better in about an hour or so after the procedure after which you can get discharged. You can return to your night stay where you have a prior booking, take a night’s rest and return to Kuwait via the next scheduled flight.
- Once you are back in your home country, you will be confident of a successful abortion and can resume your daily activities in a couple of days.
- At AHB, you will be prescribed post-abortion care medicines and a diet to follow for rapid healing and recovery.
Why should you not attempt an unsafe surgical method of abortion?
Since the surgical abortion method involves uterine perforation, it needs to be performed only by the registered practitioner who is qualified and trained to perform abortion surgeries and only at a certified abortion clinic.
Otherwise, side effects and/or complications can threaten your health and life. Some of the common ones include:
- Infections: Pelvic infections or other infections may result in case the surgery is not performed in hygienic premises utilizing sterilized equipment. At AHB, you can be confident of a hygienic abortion procedure since the hospital is highly clean and all medical equipment is sterilized before and after each procedure. Moreover, you will be prescribed medications during the procedure and after the same to avoid any infections.
- Internal injury: The method is slightly invasive which tells how essential it is to be performed by a qualified healthcare professional. Internal injury may result when performed by a quack or someone who is not qualified and trained for the same. Such injuries can affect your health, future pregnancies and you may have to live with co-morbidities.
- Haemorrhage: Excessive bleeding may occur as a complication and only a doctor who has experience can prevent this and other likely events.
- Incomplete abortion: Inexperienced professionals may not perform the procedure efficiently leaving the products of gestation in the uterus. This can lead to abdominal pain, vaginal spotting, infections and other problems until all contents are evacuated.
Safe, legal and confidential abortion at AHB, Bangalore, India:
At AHB, besides doctors, other medical staff, nurses and paramedics are highly qualified and have received international training giving them exposure to both knowledge and experience. Together, they all make a great abortion team.
Since you will receive a private consultation, a private abortion and you will rest in your private room, your privacy is in safe hands. Moreover, AHB does not disclose any information regarding any patient besides herself. So, you can expect all your abortion details to be confidential.
Living in Kuwait, you may also fear social stigma since it is higher in countries where abortion is treated as a criminal act. But, at AHB, all the doctors and other staff members will treat you professionally and compassionately regardless of your abortion decision or judge you for any other personal issues. Here, the patient and her health are the priority and there is no place for judgmental behaviour.
You can happily return to Kuwait after having obtained a successful abortion without any fear for its legality, its safety in terms of health and life and confidentiality.
Related Posts:
- Safe, Confidential and Legal Abortion in India
- Unwanted pregnancy – what are your options in India?
- MTP in Bangalore – How to choose the best MTP doctors or MTP Clinic?
- Post-abortion care for rapid and safe abortion recovery
- How is Gentle Care Abortion different from surgical abortion at any abortion clinic?
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