Where to have safe, legal, confidential Abortion in Thrissur
Thrissur: The Cultural Capital of Kerala
Sacred sites, colourful festivals and glimpses of mixed culture comes to mind with the place, Thrissur, Kerala, India. The city is located in the Kerala state in the middle. And many of you might be knowing it by its former name, Trichur.
Do you know, Thrissur is known as “The Cultural Capital of India”?
The place has earned this accolade for having drawn its cultural, spiritual and religious leanings from ancient times. You can have a look at all this heritage in the lives of people staying there.
Though it gives a sense of pride and pleasure to experience such a rich culture. But does this allow women to have a reproductive choice?
Sadly, women find it extremely difficult to obtain a safe abortion in Thrissur although abortion in India is legal.
So, what are their abortion choices? This post intends to help women in Thrissur have a safe, legal and confidential abortion.
Multi-faceted culture stands as an obstacle for women seeking abortion in Thrissur:
When speaking of culture, Kerala as a state witnesses people belonging to diverse cultures. They come from different backgrounds and practice different religions. Thrissur is a place where people from all around the country and abroad visit for its temples, mosques and churches.
And therefore, people there have varied beliefs and perspectives. Even today when the state, country and the world is progressing, abortions in Thrissur are looked down upon.
This makes it not only difficult for women to avail safe abortions for unwanted pregnancies. But they are also targeted and often become victims of societal stigma.
Unmarried girl abortion in Thrissur is seen as a disgrace. Even in cases of rape or sexual assault, the woman is targeted and is considered to be a criminal. It sometimes becomes disgusting to see the women who are themselves the victims are blamed. Their families are even banished from society.
The families are compelled to move out of their homes, leave their villages, towns and/or cities and live somewhere else.
Even religious institutions like Churches in Kerala take their anti-abortion campaigns forward.
The stigma associated with unmarried girl abortions in India has its roots deeply penetrated in the Indian social culture. And the gravity of stigma leads to miserable events like unsafe abortions, suicides, family disputes and more.
What is the option ahead for these women in such situations? Keep reading further to know your best abortion option.
Story of an unmarried girl abortion in Thrissur:
A 24-year medical student got pregnant as a result of contraceptive failure. She with her partner approached a private abortion clinic in Thrissur for the abortion. But the hospital refused to conduct the abortion procedure because the girl was unmarried. Besides, they entered the girl’s personal space and made a shocking comment. The doctor said, “Are you seeking an abortion for fun? Once aborted, you may marry someone else. What kind of people are you?”
Another hospital demanded three times the cost of abortion only because the couple was unmarried.
Next, they finally decided to visit the government hospital in Thrissur, where the Junior Resident doctor refused abortion. His prescription read:
“Came for MTP, unmarried;
-
All investigations (blood, urine, ultrasound)
-
Report with parents of the girl (mother or father) for MTP and admission.”
The girl and the partner both belonged to the medical background and knew the complications of unsafe abortion. Hence, they did not opt for unsafe abortion. Rather, they made a wise decision. They travelled to Bangalore and availed a legal, safe and confidential abortion at American Hospital Bangalore (AHB).
The girl and her partner stated that they got relieved at AHB. They travelled back the next day with the confidence of successful abortion.
In the girl’s words:
“AHB is the only place in the last 15 days where I could find relief. I could freely speak to the doctor. There were no personal questions asked. The doctor or the nurses did not judge us for having an abortion or for getting pregnant as unmarried.
At all other places, I was made to feel guilty both for getting pregnant and for wanting an abortion. As for Kerala, I don’t think unmarried girls have safe abortion options. And even married women are often made to realize that they are doing wrong.”
After having obtained the suction method of abortion, the girl and her partner were relieved and they confidently returned to Thrissur with a successful abortion.
A note for you:
Abortion in India is legal both for married and unmarried women according to the MTP Act, 2021 of India. The abortion clauses that stated ‘married woman and her husband’ have been replaced by ‘a woman and her partner’.
Hence, if you seek a legal abortion in India, you have a right to do so regardless of the fact whether you are married or unmarried. Keep reading ahead to know what else does Indian abortion law permit.
Why women in Thrissur resort to unsafe abortion
Low-spiritedly, many women resort to unsafe abortions in Thrissur to avoid being the stock for mock. To prevent anyone from knowing of their pregnancy or abortion status, they tend to buy abortion pills. They do not know the harm and the risks with abortion pills. And unknowingly, they just pay more than the Maximum Retail Price (MRP) to any rapacious pharmacy to obtain abortion pills.
Although they may succeed in doing so, they may not have a successful abortion.
The advice:
Never self-diagnose or self-administer abortion pills. They may harm your health and/or life.
Many women opt for unsafe abortions because they know very little of their legal rights or safety concerns regarding abortions.
Buying abortion pills in Thrissur: Is it what you are considering?
If you are carrying an unwanted pregnancy and wish to get it terminated, do not just pop in abortion pills. Before you proceed ahead, we would like you to know that abortion in India is legal. And you too have safe, legal and confidential abortion options in Bangalore. Women must know their legal rights before having availed of an abortion.
It has been righteously said that
“Ignorance today is no more a bliss.”
Knowledge is the key to the right decisions. So, here is the legal knowledge you may need to know for obtaining a legal abortion in India.
Legal abortion in India:
Gestation age and permissible circumstances:
Abortion in India is legal for up to 20 weeks under normal circumstances like that of contraceptive failure. However, for special cases like detection of fetal deformities, some rape cases pending in court hearings, etc., it is legal for up to 24 weeks.
Consent:
“For an abortion in India, only the woman’s consent is required if she is an adult.”
In cases the abortion is sought for minor girls, consent from parents is required.
Sexual assault:
Abortion in India is legal if the pregnancy has resulted from a sexual assault.
A glimpse into rape cases in Thrissur:
As per the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) report, 736 rape cases have been recorded alone in the Thrissur district. There may be many more which have not been reported. The number of cases in 2013 were 76, in 2016 were 191 and in 2017 the figure was 178.
According to a news report as said by the CWC Chairman during a legal hearing in the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act,
“In many cases child victims get pregnant. Such cases often call for abortions, facilities for childbirth, prenatal care, and care for newborns. As of all, 32 child rape victims got pregnant in the Thrissur district. Investigation and trial process is difficult in cases of consensual relationships.”
Coming back to your abortion options.
Buying abortion pills in Thrissur may not be the best abortion option:
So, here is why you should not self-administer abortion pills in Thrissur.
Illegal:
First, it is illegal to buy or sell abortion pills in India without a valid prescription.
Efficiency:
Next, you may not know your gestation age. Abortion pills are effective in terminating only very early pregnancies. The World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended the use of abortion pills only for terminating pregnancies that are less than 6 – 8 weeks.
Beyond this period, abortion pills may result in an incomplete abortion which will need a surgical procedure to be completed. If you are taking abortion pills within 8 weeks of pregnancy, even then there are chances of incomplete abortion. This is because abortion pills are not 100% efficient. They are nearly 95%-97% effective only and that too when recommended for your case-specific.
All incomplete abortions are completed by surgical abortions. If you are not ready for this after a long wait for abortion to be completed, then avoid abortion pills.
Pain, bleeding, discomfort:
With the abortion pill method of abortion, you may experience moderate to severe abdominal cramps. You may not know how to manage the pain. When abortion pills are recommended by the doctors, they also prescribe analgesics to take as and when required.
Bleeding is but the natural process through which the abortion will take place. But in some cases, bleeding may be very heavy. There can be immense blood loss and the woman may require to be kept under observation. If you have self-administered abortion pills, where will you go in case of such an emergency?
Discomfort with pain, bleeding and mental stress may not let the woman focus on work. She may need rest and even off from work. Then, there is a waiting period of 10-14 days to know if the abortion was complete. Did you know this?
Yes, unless the bleeding stops after abortion pills, you cannot be certain of successful abortion. Some remnants may remain within the uterine cavity making you still feel pregnant-like. If the bleeding doesn’t stop by 10-12 days, there are vivid chances for incomplete abortion.
Bleeding may be heavy or just vaginal spotting. And it may be accompanied by abdominal cramps, pain and even fever.
Risk of ectopic pregnancy:
Do you know pregnancy can take up the wrong location in the body? And it is not very uncommon. There are events where the embryo does not get implanted in the uterine lining, its rightful destination. It may fix somewhere else and start growing.
These pregnancies are called ectopic pregnancies and the locations may be in the fallopian tube, in the abdominal cavity or even in the cervix region.
In case you do not get your pregnancy location confirmed before taking abortion pills for an ectopic pregnancy, then the abortion will not take place. Abortion pills do not work on ectopic pregnancies. They work only in intrauterine pregnancies.
Ectopic pregnancy is a very serious case and a medical emergency. When the embryo continues to grow at the wrong location, it may lead to rupture there. Whenever the location like the fallopian tube becomes narrow for the embryo, the tube ruptures causing hemorrhage. The woman in such a case is presented by syncope. She may faint and no one may have an idea what happened.
If the delay is done in seeking medical help, it may even prove fatal. Many women when opting for unsafe abortions choose to stay at a lonely place rather than their homes. Or they may be in a private rented apartment or hostel, etc. In those cases, women might not get immediate medical aid. And her life may be at risk.
Even if the woman manages to get treated timely, this may affect her future pregnancies. Removal of a fallopian tube and the attached ovary may reduce her possibility of conception to nearly half.
Allergies, drug interactions, contraindications or other ignorance reasons:
A woman or a girl may not know whether she is allergic to abortion pills. She may not know if the medicines she is taking are okay to take along with any other medicine she may be taking.
If the woman is suffering from any other medical problem like diabetes, hypertension, kidney disorder, epilepsy or any other condition, she may not know if the abortion pills are safe to take along. Or they can put the woman in grave consequences.
An example is blood-thinners may be taken for problems like Hypertension and Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT). And if such a woman takes up abortion pills in Thrissur without prescription, she may suffer uncontrolled heavy bleeding. Or a diabetic woman may take more time to heal.
And similarly, there can be various situations getting messed up only because of self-diagnosis and self-prescription.
The unsafe method adopted to complete the incomplete abortion:
In events where women are presented with the complication of an incomplete abortion, what do they do?
They may opt for unsafe abortions at the hands of quacks or unprofessional people.
These may further put their health and life at risk. How?
Internal injury:
As you know by now that incomplete abortions will need surgery to complete the abortion. If it is not performed with caution, it may cause internal injury. It may rupture internal organs as well. Injury to reproductive organs may negatively impact future fertility.
Hemorrhage:
Internal organ injury may lead to excessive bleeding. And the unprofessional or untrained person may not be experienced in managing such emergencies.
Infections:
Unhygienic premises and medical equipment may make the woman vulnerable to catching bacterial, viral or fungal infections.
And there are many other risks and complications with unsafe abortions.
But you should know one thing that all these complications and side-effects of abortion are preventable. If you choose to have an abortion at the hands of registered medical practitioners all these situations can be prevented.
Schedule an appointment for safe abortion in Bangalore.
Abortion in Thrissur Vs Abortion in Bangalore:
Many women from Kerala travel to Bangalore to have a safe, confidential and legal abortion. There are plenty of benefits of having an abortion in Bangalore and the biggest advantage is confidentiality.
We have seen many cases where women are unable to visit an abortion clinic in Thrissur because of stigma. The abortion story we mentioned above was just one out of many. There are many others who out of knowledge could not even avail a legal and safe abortion.
Some times, they become victims at the hands of society. In many cases, abortions were delayed after the gestation length increased beyond permissible age. Such women opted for unsafe abortions, risked their lives and health. Many even paid the cost of their lives.
And many others knock the legal doors to avail abortions after the permissible period of 24 weeks. For a recent example, you may read the story of a girl where she was allowed by the court to have an abortion after 24 weeks. (Read full article)
But how many of such women reach out openly? The number is very small as compared to the number of girls and women carrying unwanted pregnancies. Confidentiality is the biggest reason due to which women tend to fall for unsafe abortion. But they do have a safe and confidential abortion option. Let’s get to that.
If you are also seeking an abortion in Thrissur, we would recommend you to seek a safe and confidential abortion at American Hospital Bangalore (AHB).
Abortion at AHB, Bangalore:
There are several pros of having an abortion at AHB. Let’s know-how can it be beneficial for your case.
Ease of access:
Travelling to Bangalore:
You might be wondering how to travel and how to plan. But, it’s easy. Depending on the time you can spend travelling, you can reach there by a short flight or by train or by a bus or even a cab or your car.
Since Thrissur doesn’t have an airport, you can travel a short distance from Thrissur to Cochin by cab, bus, car or train and take a short one hour flight to Bangalore.
The distance between the two cities is nearly 472Km and both the cities are connected by National Highways. So, you can also take a bus.
Stay overnight:
Although you can return after abortion to Thrissur the same day, it is better not to overwhelm yourself. Don’t try to cover up all the journey in a single day. It is better to have a hotel booked near the hospital or the railway station or the abortion hospital. You can stay there for a night and get some rest.
It may be better to schedule your return trip for the following day. You can choose to first check in your hotel. And then after getting some rest, you can hire a cab to take you to the hospital.
Abortion Procedures at AHB: What to expect?
Appointment:
It is best to plan and then visit the hospital to avoid any panic or rush. So, you can call the AHB’s helpline number and schedule the earliest appointment. Since only a limited number of patients are taken up for treatment every day, it is advised not to delay.
Private consultation and that too in Malayalam:
Once you arrive at the hospital at your scheduled appointment, you can expect not to wait or see any fellow patient. You can discuss your case with the doctor in one-to-one consultation openly without any fear of stigma or being judged or risk to your safety or privacy.
You can choose to come with your partner or a friend. Since you are coming from Kerala and may wish to communicate in Malayalam, that’s no problem here. The hospital had multilingual staff and Malayalam is their common language due to many patients coming there from Kerala.
Hence, there won’t be any communication barrier.
Consultation:
The doctor will check your medical history, have some diagnostic tests done in-house. And also length and location of pregnancy will be checked to rule out all complications. Then, the doctor will prescribe the best abortion procedure for your case.
Abortion procedures:
All abortion procedures at AHB are Gentle Care abortion procedures. In case your pregnancy is normal, intrauterine, there are three methods available as per your pregnancy length:
- The medical method of abortion with abortion pills up to 8 weeks: Since this is not a single appointment procedure, you may choose to have the suction abortion even if you are early.
- Vacuum aspiration method of abortion with gentle suction up to 12 weeks: This is the most commonly availed method owing to its nearly 100% efficiency and its being a single appointment procedure.
- Dilatation and Evacuation (D&E) method of abortion beyond 12 weeks: This may be used for second-trimester abortion procedures. It is also a Gentle care painless abortion and is nearly 100% efficient.
With VA or D&E abortion procedure, you will have a painless experience. You may get discharged after an hour of abortion as you feel comfortable. Until then, you will be allotted a private room for you and your companion to relax.
The abortion team at AHB is recognized as one of the best abortion teams in the world with highly efficient procedures. The doctor is highly experienced and nurses are internationally trained to make each abortion experience successful and comfortable.
Post-abortion recovery:
The doctor will prescribe you some medicines and supplements to prevent infections and help in rapid healing. You can follow up with the doctor after a week of abortion. There won’t be any need of coming to the hospital unless needed. You can call on their helpline number and speak to the doctor.
Confidentiality and discretion maintained at all times:
AHB does not disclose any information of any patient to anyone besides herself. Just like your health is safe at AHB, even your privacy is safe. Private consultation, private room, professional and non-judgmental behavior and much more are done to keep the woman’s identity and her abortion status confidential.
Since the delay in appointment means a delay in abortion which is not what you may want.
Schedule your appointment today by calling the AHB helpline number.
It’s better you schedule an appointment first and then make travel arrangements. Having a safe, confidential and legal abortion in Bangalore is just so easy. We wish you good health and happiness today and tomorrow!
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