Abortion in Singapore vs Abortion in India
Contents of this post:
Abortion in Singapore for an unwanted pregnancy
What are your legal abortion rights in India?
Planning a short abortion trip to Bangalore, India from Singapore
Gentle Care abortions at American Hospital Bangalore (AHB)
Abortion in Singapore for an unwanted pregnancy:
As a Singapore resident, you may be knowing that abortion there is legal. And their abortion rules too are considered progressive. Although abortions there are legal, that’s so only for married women. A woman can obtain a legal abortion in Singapore only if she is married to a Singapore citizen or holds a PR. But expats living in Singapore receive a differential treatment on seeking an abortion. An expat seeking an abortion in Singapore must be staying there for over four months.
So, what’s the option for unmarried women in Singapore when they want to opt-out of unwanted pregnancies? Little is known to the general public about abortion rights. Moreover, the stigma attached to abortions is extremely prominent.
Many women out of fear of how society will treat them for getting pregnant without marriage resort to unsafe abortion methods. They refrain from visiting abortion clinics and attempt self-abortions resulting in complications. Some of the complications are even life-threatening.
So, what’s the option for women wanting secretive abortions safely? Well, such women and expats can take a short flight to Bangalore, India. They can easily obtain an abortion in India as a foreigner or an expat and return to Singapore the same or the following day.
This post will help readers from Singapore learn about their abortion options in India at the best abortion hospital.
What are your legal abortion rights in India?
As mentioned above also, abortion rights in Singapore are progressive. However, abortion in India rights are both progressive and women-friendly. The major difference in the abortion rights of the two countries is for unmarried couples. Abortion in India is legal even for unmarried or single women.
Here are some basic things regarding the Indian abortion laws. It may be better for you to be knowing them when you are seeking an abortion in India as a foreigner.
Permissible circumstances:
Abortion in India is permissible on several grounds including:
Contraceptive failure:
This is one of the most common reasons for unplanned pregnancies. Married couples often have a choice of proceeding ahead with the pregnancy or terminating it early. However, most unmarried and single women hesitate in raising a child as a single mother. They may not be looking forward to getting married and hence may be wanting an abortion.
Sometimes, married couples are also not ready for a child due to different reasons. At times, their priority must be professional progress. At other times, they want to give more time to their relationship. There are incidences when couples are not ready for childbearing at the moment due to personal, social or economic reasons. Some couples have a complete family and addition may not be their choice.
In all such cases, you can obtain a legal abortion in India for the reason of contraceptive failure for up to 20 weeks of gestation.
Many Singapore women often travel to Bangalore, India only to obtain a safe and legal abortion when they discover unexpected pregnancies.
To protect woman’s health/life:
Abortion in India is legal in case an ongoing pregnancy poses a threat to the woman’s life and/or physical and/or mental health. And you can obtain the same in India even as a foreign woman regardless of your marital status.
Fetal anomalies:
Sometimes, wanted pregnancies do not proceed as expected. There may be severe complications that can threaten the patient’s life. One can obtain a legal abortion in such events. Similarly, there can be events when the fetus’s growth is retarded or some other developmental disorders have been detected during prenatal screening.
In such cases, most couples prefer to abort the child rather than giving the child a life full of struggles. Even doctors prescribe abortions in such events. If you too have been undergoing a similar situation, you can speak to a professional healthcare. She can help you with counselling and consultation. You can openly discuss your available options.
In case you would like to terminate such a pregnancy, you can obtain a legal abortion in India even as a foreign woman. You can visit the following link to schedule an online consultation with experienced gynecologists in India at the best abortion hospital: Contact us for a safe, legal and confidential abortion in Bangalore India
Rape/Incest:
Some unwanted pregnancies are the ones resulting from sexual assaults. Such survivors can also undergo a legal abortion in India.
Some more things to know regarding abortion in Bangalore, India:
- You do not need to be married for abortion in India.
- You do not need your parent’s consent for the abortion. Nor do you need your partner’s consent for the abortion. All adult women (even foreigners) can obtain a legal abortion in India with their consent only.
- You have a window of 20 weeks up to when you can obtain a legal abortion in normal cases such as that of contraceptive failure. However, the abortion method depends on the gestation age. At American Hospital Bangalore, you can obtain a Gentle Care abortion for terminating an unwanted pregnancy.
Planning a short abortion trip to Bangalore, India from Singapore:
Well, if you wish to obtain a short, single-appointment, quick, painless, safe, legal and confidential Gentle Care abortion, you will need to travel to Bangalore, India. Gentle Care abortions are exclusively available in Bangalore at the American Hospital Bangalore (AHB).
Do not worry about travelling or abortion procedures. All of it is very convenient. First, you need to check your pregnancy length. In case, you are less than 20 weeks pregnant, you can schedule an online consultation with the AHB doctors.
Or you can also reach out to them via the helpline on WhatsApp. You can speak to the coordinator for the earliest available abortion slot. Accordingly, you can plan your travel. With a Gentle Care abortion, you can plan as short a trip as the same day or a 2-day trip to Bangalore.
Check out the flight schedules and book your flight at: https://www.skyscanner.co.in/routes/sin/blr/singapore-changi-to-bengaluru.html
Please keep the coordinator in the loop. The hospital can then send a car for your pickup from the airport. In case you happen to arrive by your appointment time, you can directly come to the hospital. Or in a case, you reach outside of the hospital hours or want to get some rest, you can take an Uber or a good metered taxi from the airport for your booked homestay. Yes, you can conveniently reserve a comfortable Airbnb homestay or a hotel for a night or two as per your preferences.
You can obtain the abortion at your scheduled appointment time and get some rest in the hospital. You can directly return to Singapore if your flight schedule permits. Or if you wish to stay for longer in Bangalore, you can return to your homestay or hotel after the abortion. And then, confidently return to Singapore with the confidence of a successful abortion procedure.
Gentle Care abortions at American Hospital Bangalore (AHB):
Depending on how far along you are in your pregnancy, your abortion methods can vary. There are three safe and approved abortion methods for terminating early pregnancies by the World Health Organization (WHO). However, the earlier you are, the better. The three methods are:
- Medical abortion
- Vacuum aspiration abortion
- Dilatation and Evacuation (D&E abortion)
Medical abortion in India for women from Singapore:
Well, most Singapore and other foreign women do not prefer an abortion with this method. Several considerations go along the way for this preference. However, it is important to know the differences so that each individual patient can make a wise choice. So, here are some details about medical abortion.
Medical abortion: How is it done?
Medical abortion as the name suggests means using medicines to terminate an ongoing pregnancy. The two approved medicines for terminating intrauterine pregnancies are Mifepristone and Misoprostol. This abortion method is available only for terminating pregnancies that are intrauterine and less than -8 weeks. Beyond this gestation period, the risk of incomplete abortion increases greatly.
During this abortion method, the doctor will first check your eligibility. If you are eligible and you are ready for this abortion method, she shall give you an abortion pill to be taken orally at the clinic itself. You will also receive some more tablets to be taken when at your homestay or in the hotel room. For this, you may have to wait for 24-72 hours as the doctor may advise you. So, with this abortion method, you may need to plan a longer trip.
After taking the first abortion pill at the clinic, fetal growth will stop. The first tablet is Mifepristone which is an anti-progestin. It blocks the availability of Progesterone, a hormone essential for fetal growth and well-being.
When you take the second set of abortion pills at home, bleeding can start anytime between 0.5-4 hours. Most women usually expel the embryo in less than 6 hours. But, all this while, you can expect moderate to severe abdominal cramps and heavy bleeding. The bleeding shall decrease gradually but may take at least a week to stop entirely. If it continues beyond that, you may need a follow-up appointment to check if the abortion was complete.
In a case of an incomplete abortion, you may need a small surgical procedure to complete the abortion.
Why do Singapore women not prefer a medical abortion?
Although, it is the earliest abortion method, women from Singapore do not usually prefer it. While many patients are not eligible for abortion pills at the time they seek an abortion. There are several other reasons that either exclude them from being eligible or women prefer better and painless Gentle Care abortion. Let’s see what are these reasons.
- Medical abortion causes abortion by inducing a natural miscarriage which means abdominal cramps and pain. Many patients fear pain with abortion and prefer a painless Gentle Care suction abortion.
- Abortion with pills is a less efficient method. This means there are chances for incomplete abortion. And then, incomplete abortion needs a corrective surgery. Therefore, patients prefer Gentle Care abortion which gives them the confidence of a successful procedure even before they leave the clinic.
- The patient may need to stay for longer with medical abortion. It may take at least 3 days for the abortion. And then also, it is not sure that they can return with complete abortion until the bleeding stops. And it may take days and even weeks for the bleeding to stop.
- Abdominal cramps and pain accompanied by bleeding for days lead to heavy blood loss and patient discomfort. On the other hand, Gentle Care abortions are comfortable procedures with minimum bleeding post-abortion.
Gentle Care suction abortion: What it is and who can obtain it?
It is your available abortion method if you are less than 12 weeks pregnant with an intrauterine pregnancy. Patients with intrauterine pregnancies less than 6-8 weeks who are not eligible for a medical abortion are eligible for a Gentle Care suction abortion.
Many patients lack eligibility for medical abortion due to being anemic or if they are suffering from other medical conditions. Sometimes, they are taking medicines which can interact with abortion pills and interfere with their work. This can further decrease their efficiency resulting in incomplete abortions.
Even patients who are eligible for a medical abortion can opt for Gentle Care suction abortion. Although we have discussed its advantages over medical abortion, for your convenience, they have been summarized below in tabulated form.
Gentle Care suction abortion: How is it done?
Gentle Care suction abortion is as gentle as its name. It’s a short and painless procedure taking less than 5 minutes. At first, the doctor will affirm your pregnancy length and location. And will check if you stand eligible for this method. Please let the doctor learn about your overall medical health, any medical condition(s) you may be having, any medicine(s) you may be taking and any allergies if you have them.
Once the doctor finds you eligible for the Gentle Care suction abortion, she shall explain the details of the procedure. You can also ask any queries you have. Although the procedure is very short and painless, you can choose to obtain it under short-acting anesthesia.
A friendly, caring and supporting nurse shall help you get ready for the procedure in a private examination room. She shall make you lie down on a comfortable piece of furniture comfortably. The nurse will disinfect your cervix region to prevent any kind of infections from setting in.
Next, the doctor shall insert a small, disposable, flexible and soft vacurette inside your cervix to reach your uterus. Once in place, the doctor will create gentle suction pressure using a hand-held aspirator. She has full control over how much pressure and for how long it’s necessary to complete the abortion.
All the pregnancy products will pass down this tube into a collection bottle. Once the uterus is empty, the doctor will turn off the aspirator and remove the vacurette. Then, you can relax and rest in your private room. Your partner can accompany you as you recover. You will feel better in less than 15 minutes and can take discharge as and when you like.
Gentle Care D&E abortion: Who can obtain it and how is it done?
Gentle Care D&E abortion is the abortion method for terminating pregnancies in the second trimester. So, if you are between 12-20 weeks pregnant, the doctor may most likely prescribe you Gentle Care D&E abortion.
Just like with any other abortion procedure, at first, you will receive a pre-abortion consultation. The doctor shall explain to you all the procedural details and answer all your queries.
Gentle Care D&E abortion takes less than 20-30 minutes to complete. Since this method involves slight scraping of the uterine lining to remove all the pregnancy products completely, it is performed under local or general anesthesia. This makes the procedure absolutely painless.
After the nurse disinfects your cervix region, the doctor dilates your cervix region. She then uses gentle tools to remove the fetus and placental tissue. The detached tissues are evacuated using an aspirator as with suction abortion.
Once the abortion is complete, uterovaginal packaging is introduced to minimize the bleeding and shorten your hospital stay. This will be removed before you take discharge from the hospital. After the abortion, you can rest and recover in your private room with your companion.
Since it is also a single-day procedure, you can take discharge after you feel sufficiently rested. It is advised for you rest overnight in your hotel room or homestay. And fly to Singapore the following day or as per your scheduled flight.
Post-abortion consultation after the abortion at American Hospital Bangalore (AHB):
AHB’s post-abortion consultation is very comprehensive and detailed which you may not expect from any other abortion clinic. After the abortion, the doctor will ensure that you are feeling comfortable and doing fine. She will guide you into every small and big detail you may need to know to follow post-abortion.
Hear from the hospital’s past patients:
You’ll get a prescription to take prophylactic antibiotics, some hematinics to make up for the blood loss and other supplements to aid in early healing. You will also receive guidance on the things to be done and the ones to be avoided completely.
The doctor will also advise you regarding the diet plan you should follow as you recover. If you want to get an intrauterine contraceptive device implantation (IUCD), it is the best time. You can discuss the same with the doctor before the abortion. And you can then get an IUCD on the same appointment without any additional pain and discomfort. An IUCD is the most preferred contraceptive that works uninterrupted in most cases for up to 5-10 years depending on the type and quality.
Gentle Care abortion is however available only to a single patient at a time. You may not want to delay as the delay will cause an increase in gestation length as well as chances of complications. Besides, most abortion seats are prebooked for up to a week. Call the helpline to speak to a coordinator and arrange for an early appointment.
Schedule a Gentle Care abortion appointment.
Related posts:
- Abortion at 6 weeks pregnancy – What do you need to know?
- Abortion at 5 weeks pregnancy – What you need to know?
- The period after abortion: What to expect, how to deal with
- Abortion at 4 weeks pregnancy – What you need to know?
- Up to how many weeks can you have a medical abortion?
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