Written By: Longjam Dineshwori | Updated : November 3, 2021 3:51 PM IST
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Women with unwanted pregnancies often resort to unsafe abortion when they do not have access to safe abortion. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), nearly 50% of all abortions worldwide are unsafe, and almost all of these unsafe abortions take place in developing countries. Unsafe abortions are a critical reproductive-health issue in the Indian state of Rajasthan, said Divya Santhanam, Senior State Program Manager, Population Foundation of India.
Based on data from a recent study, the NGO noted that 35% of women aged 20-24 years in Rajasthan reported getting married before 18 years of age, which is quite high compared to the national average of 26%. Nearly 15 of every 1,000 girls in Rajasthan in the age group 15-19 years undergo induced abortions annually. Only 40 percent of these abortions occur with assistance from healthcare providers, indicating that the rest 60 percent of the abortions in the age group are 'unsafe' and without any trained assistance, the NGO highlighted in a press release.
According to WHO, an abortion is unsafe when it is performed in an environment that does not conform to minimal medical standards or the person carrying out the abortion doesn't have the necessary skills or both. However, such recommended specifications for safe abortions often remain on paper, especially in developing countries, the NGO stated.
"In Rajasthan, the use of modern contraceptives is low at 11 percent among married adolescents as compared to 47 and 68 percent usage among the 25 29 and 30 39 years age group, respectively. This unmet need for contraception among adolescents in the state results in unintended pregnancies and induced abortions," Santhanam said.
The organisation mentioned that unplanned pregnancies and unsafe abortions are more likely in rural Rajasthan, where basic reproduction information and health infrastructure are often amiss and young girls are married off before their minds and bodies have matured.
With healthcare workers diverted towards the management of COVID-19, a spike in unplanned pregnancies is being estimated during the pandemic. "One can only imagine how abortions were carried out during this time in environments that possibly did not conform to even minimal medical standards," Santhanam stated.
The NGO warned that unsafe abortions can have immediate ramifications and lead to severe health risks including long-term complications that can compromise the health and well-being of women or girls, and even loss of life.
The NGO emphasised that availability of contraceptives and comprehensive abortion care (CAC) services are crucial for adolescents' well-being and for better social and economic outcomes.
Based on its study, the Population Foundation of India estimated that the returns to investment in provisioning of contraceptives and Comprehensive Abortion Care (CAC) to adolescents or the benefit-cost ratio (BCR) for Rajasthan is 2.97. This means for every INR 100 invested to provide contraceptives and abortion care, there could be a return of approximately INR 300 in terms of healthcare costs saved, it explained.
Hence, the importance of adequate investment in adolescent health and infrastructure that supports them with information and necessary medical care, the organisation added.
However, the NGO finds reducing teenage pregnancy as the biggest challenge in addressing adolescents' reproductive health needs.
