3 life-threatening risks women seeing abortion in UAE face:

Abortion risks are preventable with safe abortions.

Contents in this post:

Know your options before a self-induced abortion.

Abortions have been around for years and are prevalent throughout the world. However, the differences lie in abortions not being equally governed in all the countries. Abortion laws and conditions have been receiving very diverse attention from different times in history.

Many countries like India have made abortions legal on certain grounds. India introduced its Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) act back in the year 1971. But there have been significant changes in people’s needs over years. Also, with advancements in multiple things, laws have been made more liberal since their first introduction.

The changes include advancements in medical science and even in people’s outlook. For instance, premarital sex has a close association with societal stigma and disgrace. But sexual exploration before marriage in today’s world receive a changed perspective. What was once considered a sin has now become a casual way of exploring a relationship before actual commitment.

People have welcomed these changes. But what about the pregnancies resulting from such relationships? If you are staying in a Middle East country like UAE, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, etc, then probably you may face harsh consequences. These will come not only for seeking an abortion as unmarried but also for sexual intimacy without marriage.

Although things are changing there too, it may take still many struggles for getting legal abortions there. Due to restricted abortion rules and heavy implications, women in Gulf countries often seek abortion help in India.

Many educated women knowing their legal rights manage to travel to Bangalore for safe, legal and confidential abortions. Sadly, many women and girls still lack resources, especially knowledge as to how they can obtain a safe abortion. They tend to fall in for unsafe abortion methods at the hands of uncertified providers.

Abortion in UAE and legal punishment:

Abortion in the UAE is illegal. And it is illegal throughout. You cannot find any legal change in Dubai, Sharjah, Fujairah, Al Ain, Ras Al Khaimah, Ajman, Abu Dhabi or elsewhere. Were you thinking to visit a different city in the UAE for a secret abortion? Probably, you are going to face similar consequences. And hence, it may not be a good idea.

Here is what you need to know about the abortion laws in the UAE:

Abortion in UAE is illegal and can end you imprisoned and fined. If you are an expatriate or are living in UAE on a work VISA, it may get cancelled. You may even have to face deportation. You may not be able to return to UAE. Is this acceptable for you?

Abortion in UAE is available only in two conditions. These are a pregnancy endangering a patient’s life and in case of a few fetal anomalies. But one needs to be a married woman to have an abortion even in these events. Furthermore, the couple will have to prove their marriage with a valid marriage registration certificate.

Even in permissible events, it is the husband or his parents (in his absence) who can give consent for abortion. A woman cannot obtain an abortion on her choice. For the clause of fetal anomalies, the ceiling gestation period is 120 days.

In all other conditions, abortion is not permissible as well as treated as a criminal offence.

Struggling with an unwanted pregnancy in UAE:

We understand that an unwanted pregnancy may also not be acceptable for you. But a legal punishment may also not be what you are looking forward to getting into. So, is there no way out of an unwanted pregnancy? Will you need to marry if you are unmarried and raise the child although you are not ready for the same?

No, it’s not like that. Even many married women seek abortions for different reasons. Many have their families complete. Many others do not want to get into motherhood at the particular moment. And yet many young couples want to give time to their relationship before they become parents.

But you cannot get an abortion in UAE only because you do not want to continue with the pregnancy. The scope of this post is to help you know the life-threatening risks of abortion in the UAE. However, imprisonment too can be one you may not want to ignore.

Imagine you not being allowed to abort when legal authorities find out that you are seeking one. In such a case, you may be put in jail. It can cause mental stress to you and bring your life to a standstill. Your professional, personal as well as social life can have a negative impact. Plus, you will have to enter motherhood while you are not ready.

For unmarried girls, this condition is no less than life-threatening. Moreover, such girls and women often seek help from uncertified practitioners. Or they try to avail abortion pills in UAE from illegal suppliers. Many of them either end up buying fake or expired medicines.

And such medicines only create further complications, some of which are life-threatening. Let us discuss the top three such conditions:

Risks with abortion

#1. Ectopic pregnancy is a life-threatening condition:

Most women who discover that they are pregnant do not undergo any scan before they attempt an unsafe abortion. They tend to get rid of unwanted pregnancies at the earliest. And they do so without knowing whether their pregnancy is normal or faulty.

Faulty pregnancies like ectopic pregnancies and molar pregnancies are not very rare these days. About 1 in every 50 pregnancies is an ectopic pregnancy. And around 6%-16% of first-trimester pregnancies presenting with pain, bleeding, and syncope are ectopic pregnancies. 

If you do not know, let us brief you about what an ectopic pregnancy is. Also, you will learn how can it be a life-threatening condition. Plus, how it is also a preventable risk with abortion.

What is an ectopic pregnancy?

An ectopic pregnancy is a pregnancy that gets implanted at the wrong location. After unprotected intercourse or due to contraceptive failure the male sperm is available to fertilize the female egg. If the woman is in her fertile window, there is a good probability of sperm uniting the egg. This fertilization takes place in the fallopian tubes.

Fallopian tubes are small and narrow ducts that connect the ovaries with the uterus (womb). The fertilized egg then moves down the fallopian tube into the womb. There are two fallopian tubes, one on each side connected to each ovary. This fertilization happens in one of the tubes. When the embryo moves down to the uterus and implants there, it is known as a normal pregnancy. Medically, you may hear it as intrauterine pregnancy. 

However, in certain cases, the fertilized egg fails to reach the uterine cavity. It may implant somewhere within the tube itself. Or it can move to the cervix region or even the abdominal cavity. These are the cases of extrauterine or ectopic pregnancies. Such pregnancies are non-viable. However, they need timely removal from the body or can cause serious complications. Let us see how. 

How is an ectopic pregnancy a life-threatening complication?

See, it is only the uterus which is designed to sustain a normal pregnancy. Any other part of the human body is not equipped to sustain a healthy pregnancy. When the fertilized egg stays in the fallopian tube, it finds it too narrow to grow. The embryo may keep growing until it finds space. 

But if not detected and removed early, it may rupture leading to a burst in the fallopian tube. Such a case leads to internal bleeding. The patient may get unconscious. Quite possibly, no one near her may know of her being pregnant in the first place. And when she may not have gotten an ultrasound, she may not even have known that her pregnancy is ectopic. 

Immediate medical attention is essential to save the patient’s life. When the patient is brought to emergency medical care, the doctor may perform an immediate surgery. During this surgery, the ruptured pregnancy tissue and the fallopian tube are removed. Even the attached ovary may need removal. 

In case this corrective surgery is not available on time, the patient may pay the cost of abortion with her life.

In cases the patient survives the surgery, she may have impaired fertility. Her probability to conceive in future may reduce to half. Some very complicated cases have women losing their complete fertility. 

Is ectopic pregnancy risk preventable?

Although an ectopic pregnancy can happen to any woman. However, some women are at a higher risk of developing an ectopic pregnancy. These may include some medical conditions like the physiology of the patient’s reproductive tract.

Some other women are at a higher risk of ectopic pregnancy due to their lifestyle. It is important to have a healthy lifestyle and healthy eating habits. Especially, this message is very much essential to spread to women who are looking forward to planning a family soon. 

Still, in many events, one cannot exercise control over a pregnancy to prevent it from being an ectopic one. However, an early diagnosis and treatment can save the patient’s life. And not only this, but it is also possible to save her fertility.

How?

This is possible because, with early detection, an ectopic pregnancy receives recognition as a medical condition. The doctor can medically treat the condition with medicines. Even surgery may not be needed. When the embryo size is small, it is not firmly attached. Medicines can help in stopping its growth and expulsion. In this way, it is possible to save both the patient’s life and fertility and that too timely.

Where?

When the pregnancy is unwanted, most women do not even give the slightest doubt about this complication. To them, the pregnancy is unwanted and they just want to opt out of it. When this condition is in the UAE, whether the woman is married or unmarried, she knows abortion is illegal. Hence, she may not even visit the state hospital for a maternity file. Nor will she be able to get a scan to rule out the probability of ectopic pregnancy. 

For a maternity file, she may need to prove her marriage and also her husband’s approval. So, you cannot expect such women to have early detection and treatment for an ectopic pregnancy. As a result, the embryo may rupture and endanger the patient’s life. 

Are you seeking a safe method to opt out of an unwanted pregnancy? Probably, you do not have a legal option in your country. But you can travel to Bangalore, India where abortion is legal even for foreigners. 

Many Indian expatriates and Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) often travel to India for abortions. They avail of Gentle Care abortions as a part of a short abortion trip and return with a successful procedure. 

Some patients upon their arrival at the best abortion hospital get to know of them carrying ectopic pregnancies. American Hospital Bangalore (AHB) is a specialized hospital that caters to personalized and Comprehensive Abortion Care (CAC). The hospital provides as safe abortions as possible.

To prevent these life-threatening complications, the doctor advises the patient to undergo a small ultrasound. When an ectopic pregnancy is detected, the doctor provides immediate treatment for the same. Every year, just a small scan done timely can save hundreds of lives. This also saves their future fertility so that they can get pregnant naturally when they are ready. 

How can an ectopic pregnancy be a risk with abortion pills in the UAE?

As mentioned earlier, women and girls often tend to purchase abortion pills through illegal suppliers. They check for the suppliers through various online platforms and buy abortion pills. Most often they fail to get the right medicines. And the cost they pay is much higher than they would have to spend for safe abortion in India

Firstly, it is hard that a woman may be able to buy the right set of abortion pills. Secondly, even if she manages to get safe abortion pills in UAE, she may not know whether her pregnancy is normal or ectopic. 

Now with ectopic pregnancy, if a girl or woman self-administers abortion pills, abortion will not take place at all. She may experience slight bleeding, abdominal cramps and pain. But no abortion. This is because abortion pills do not work on ectopic pregnancies. They help in stopping the growth and expulsion of the embryo from the womb. 

The embryo may shortly rupture leading to hemorrhage. And just as mentioned in the above section, the condition is life-threatening. The doctor may need to perform immediate surgery to save the patient’s life. The threat is to both the patient’s fertility as well as her life. 

#2. Risk of incomplete abortion becoming a life-threatening risk:

In this section of the post, we are considering intrauterine or normal pregnancies. Even if such women or girls manage to buy safe abortion pills in UAE, it is not essential that the abortion will be successful. 

Abortion pills are not more than 95% efficient. And this efficiency figure is also attainable only after proper consultation with the doctor. The doctor may rule out any possibilities of complications before prescribing abortion pills. These mostly remain overlooked by women who are in a hurry of terminating unwanted pregnancies. 

An incomplete abortion refers to pregnancy remnants remaining in the womb. When the patient takes abortion pills, the embryo mostly expels within 4-6 hours. The patient may however continue to bleed for up to days and sometimes up to weeks. 

But in a case bleeding does not stop by day 10, it is most likely a case of incomplete abortion. In such a case, manual evacuation is essential to remove the pregnancy tissue. Bleeding is mostly accompanied by pain. This happens with nearly 35 out of every 1000 women. 

In a case of fever, it may be an infection. Serious untreated infection can lead to sepsis. It is a life-threatening condition. 

Sometimes women realize that abortion pills didn’t work out for them as expected. This increases their stress and they may act in panic. They tend to resort to some unregistered practitioners for manual evacuation. Now, this is a serious case. Unhygienic tools and unprofessional and untrained personnel are not a good idea. 

This may cause severe infections, heavy bleeding, and internal injury, all of which are life-threatening. 

#3. Risk of internal injury with an abortion in the UAE:

When abortion is illegal in the country, women often resort to unsafe abortion practices. Unregistered practitioners do not follow Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and guidelines for safe abortion. They are not even equipped with facilities since what they are doing is illegal and performing secret abortions. 

Such unsafe abortions can lead to internal injury and hemorrhage. It can also be fatal. The uterus or other reproductive organs may also receive a sharp piercing causing injury and internal bleeding. Inserting dangerous, non-sterile objects into the womb may damage the genital tract and internal organs. 

This can cause very heavy bleeding. The patient can go into shock. And the person approached may not be able to manage the emergency. The patient may be left on her own to die. Even if the emergency is somehow managed, the risk of severe infections still persists. Untreated infections may lead to septic shock and even death. 

Preventing risks with abortion: Gentle Care abortion in India for patients from UAE

Abortion risks are the leading cause of maternal mortalities and morbidities throughout the world. However, abortion risks are preventable with a proper diagnosis lasting through post-abortion recovery. Comprehensive Abortion Care (CAC) refers to guidelines framed by the World Health Organization (WHO). These guidelines are an initiative in a direction to make abortions as safe as possible. It also has to ensure protection to women’s reproductive health and wellbeing. 

American Hospital Bangalore (AHB) offers safe, legal and confidential abortions to all patients. Many foreign women often visit the hospital for its Gentle Care abortions.

Gentle Care abortion: Painless, quick, single-appointment, successful and patient satisfaction guaranteed

Abortions in India are legal for up to 20 weeks in most circumstances like that of contraceptive failure. Any woman, either Indian, an Indian ex-pat, a Non-Resident Indian or a foreign citizen can obtain an abortion in India.

However, methods of abortion may vary from patient to patient. These may depend on the factors such as pregnancy length, location and other patient-specific factors. 

With a Gentle Care abortion, the patient can safely terminate an unwanted pregnancy. The doctors are highly qualified and experienced. They have pioneered Gentle Care methods for painless and comfortable abortion experiences. 

When the patient arrives at an appointment, she is attended immediately. The doctor provides a private pre-abortion consultation in a comfortable one-to-one setting. You will complete a small ultrasound to rule out the possibility of ectopic pregnancy. This will also help the doctor decide the best abortion method as per the gestation age. 

You will get a Gentle Care abortion which is painless and stress-free. Your partner can accompany you. A caring, compassionate and friendly nurse will stay with your throughout to help you stay relaxed and relieved. 

Within a few minutes, the abortion will get complete. You may experience only a small amount of bleeding that weans away in a day. You can rest in your private room until you feel sufficiently rested. 

Most women are ready to be back within half an hour. An Uber can take you to your hotel or Airbnb homestay. You can rest overnight and fly back to UAE the following day. 

Stress-free abortion in Bangalore at American Hospital Bangalore:

For a hassle-free, stress-free abortion, you can call the AHB helpline number. A coordinator can guide you and can also make all your travel and homestay arrangements. He/She can schedule a comfortable abortion trip for you. 

The hospital takes in only a single patient at a time to ensure undivided attention. Hence, you may want to inquire about the earliest available spot for abortion. This also helps in maintaining patient privacy and confidentiality. 

Schedule a Gentle Care abortion appointment today!

Related posts:

  1. Abortion in India for married & unmarried women in Dubai
  2. 4 important things to know before an abortion in Abu Dhabi
  3. Early abortion options for unmarried girls in Dubai, UAE
  4. All you need to know before an abortion in Dubai in 2022
  5. 6 things you must know before buying abortion pills in UAE

Quick links:

  1. The period after abortion: What to expect, how to deal with
  2. Up to how many weeks can you have a medical abortion?
  3. Do abortions hurt? How long does the pain last?
  4. What is it like to have an abortion in your country?
  5. Looking for abortion in Dubai: You are at the right place