| South Africa11
|
By women’s choice (up to 12 weeks and six days)
Risk of damage to women’s physical or mental health; substantial risk of fetus physical or mental anomalies; pregnancy resulting from rape or incest; risk of social or economic damages to women (up to 20 weeks and 6 days) If the continuity of pregnancy is a risk for women’s life; severe fetal malformation or risk of lesion for the fetus (after 20 weeks and six days)
|
No |
No consent besides that of the pregnant woman is necessary, regardless of the age. Minors may benefit in consulting an adult (parents, guardians or other adult relative or friend) before interruption of pregnancy. However, consulting an adult is not mandatory and the service cannot be refused if the minor opt not to do it. |
| Ethiopia12
|
If the pregnancy is resulting from rape or incest; if the continuity of pregnancy puts the life of mother or child at risk or the mother’s health; if the fetus has severe and incurable anomalies; if the pregnant women, due to physical or mental impairment or being minor, is physically or mentally unable to raise the children (up to 28 weeks) In case of severe and imminent risk that may be avoided by immediate intervention (without gestational age limit explicitly defined) |
Women eligible for pregnancy interruption should obtain the service within three labor days. This period is used for counseling and diagnosis measures that are necessary for the procedure |
The sign of consent term for the realization of procedure should not be demanded for minors (<18 years), and consent from parents or guardians is not necessary |
| Mozambique13, 24
|
By women’s choice (in the first 12 weeks)
If the pregnancy is resulting from rape or incest (in the first 16 weeks)
If there is secure motivation to predict that the newborn will suffer a severe and incurable disease or congenital malformation(In the first 24 weeks)
If the fetus is not viable; if the interruption avoid risk of death or severe and enduring lesion for the body of physical health of the pregnant women, or recommendable in case of chronic-degenerative diseases (without limit of gestational age explicitly defined)
|
Pregnant women’s consent should be obtained with minimum antecedence of three days in relation to the date of intervention. If it is not possible to perform and the execution of abortion is urgent, the physician will decide each situation, relying on the opinion of other physicians when possible |
When the pregnant woman has less than 16 years, the consent of a legal ascendant representative should be obtained, or, in the absence, of collateral relatives. If it is not possible and the abortion is urgent, the physician will decide each situation, relying on the opinion of other physicians when possible |
| Zambia14
|
When the pregnancy is resulting from rape or incest; when there is substantial risk of the fetus suffering from severe physical or mental anomaly; when the continuity of pregnancy represents a risk for the physical or mental well-being of women, or will significantly affect the economic or social situation of women (up to 12 weeks) When the continuity of pregnancy represents risk for women’s life; when the continuity of pregnancy represents risk of damage to the fetus or severe fetal malformation (after 12 weeks) |
No |
If the patient’s age is under the age of legal consent for medical or surgical procedures (under 18 years), the approval of parents or guardians to interrupt pregnancy should be scheduled. The best interest of the minor will prevail over that of parents or guardians |
| Argentina15
|
By the choice of the girl, adolescent, woman or person with other gender identity able to be pregnant (up to 14 weeks)
When the pregnancy is resulting from rape or there is any risk for the life or health of the pregnant person (without explicitly defined gestational age limit)
|
No |
Girls under 13 years: May provide consent with the assistance of parents or any person who formally or informally provides care, who should also sign the informed consent Adolescents 13-16 years: may provide the consent independently, except for situations in which a technique that may severelyendanger the health or life is necessary. In this cases, the assistance of parents or any person who formally or informally provides care. After 16 years: all people, with or without malformation, may provide their consent independently |
| Colombia16, 25
|
By women’s choice (up to 24 weeks) When the continuity of pregnancy represents risk for the life or health of women; in case of severe malformation of the fetus that makes its life unfeasible; when the pregnancy is resulting from a conduct, properly reported, which constitutes sexual intercourse without consent, abusive or artificial insemination or non-consented transfer of in vitro fertilization embryo, or from incest (without gestational age limit) |
No |
Minor women, like every women, in the exercise of their essential rights of free development of personality, autonomy and dignity, is authorized to access health services and request the procedure of voluntary pregnancy interruption |
| Mexico17
|
Legal abortion is regulated at state level, not at national level. The interruption of pregnancy resulting from rape is allowed in all states, and there is federal regulation for this situation, which should be followed in the entire country. Other situations in which it is permitted, limits of gestational age vary from state to state. |
Varies according to each state |
In case of sexual violence, girls and adolescents older than 12 years can request independently the voluntary interruption of pregnancy. In case of girls under 12 years, it can be requested by parents or guardians; in the absence of these, the competent authority should be informed, and have the obligation to preserve the protection and best interest of children. |
| Bangladesh18
|
Penal code permits abortion only with the purpose of saving women’s life.
In spite of the restrictive nature of the law, the services of “menstrual regulation” (MR) were included in the family planning program of the government. MR is “a provisory method for establishing non-pregnancy for a woman at risk of pregnancy, regardless if she is pregnant or not”. The MR services have no conflicts with the current abortion laws, since they are provided as a substitutive of family planning methods of the government, and not as means of abortion.
|
No |
A guardian’s consent is necessary for youngsters under 18 years |
| Cambodia19
|
By women’s choice (up to 12 weeks) When there is a presumable cause for the fetus not to be normally developed or that may cause risks for mother’s life; when the baby to be born may have a severe and incurable disease; when the pregnancy is resulting from rape (without explicitly defined gestational age limit). |
No |
For minors, one of the parents or guardians should sign the consent form in the name of the patient. |
| India20
|
When the continuity of pregnancy represents risks for the life of the pregnant woman or causes severe injuries to her mental or physical health (The angst caused by an undesired pregnancy in the following situations presumably causes severe injury to the pregnant woman’s mental health: rape or incest; failure of any dispositive or method used by a married women or her husband with the intention of limiting the number of children); when there is a substantial risk of the newborn is born with physical or mental anomalies that would make it severely impaired (up to 20 weeks) |
No |
In the case of minors, it is necessary the consent of a guardian. |
| Singapore21
|
By women’s choice (up to 24 weeks)
When treatment is immediately necessary to save a life or prevent severe and permanent injury to the health of the pregnant women (without explicitly defined gestational age limit
|
At least 48 hours should be elapsed after pre-abortion counseling before the pregnant woman could provide her written consent for the treatment. |
No information |
| Spain22, 26, 27
|
By women’s choice (up to 14 weeks) When there is severe risk for the life or health of the pregnant women; when there is risks of severe fetal anomalies (up to 22 weeks) When fetal anomalies that impede the survival, or extremely severe and incurable disease at the moment of diagnosis (without gestational age limit) |
A period of at least three days should be observed between the counseling and execution of intervention. |
In the case of women aged 16 and 17 years, consent dependsexclusively on them. At least one of the legal guardians should be informed about the decision of the women. This information will be dispensed when the minorconfirmedly reports that it will lead to severe conflicts, with risks of familiar violence, threats, coercion, mistreats or helpless situations. |
| Ireland23
|
By women’s choice (up to 12 weeks) When there is immediate risk of life or severe injury to women’s health, and the immediate interruption of pregnancy is necessary to revert this risk; when there is a fetal condition that will probably lead to its death before or within 28 days after its birth (without gestational age limit)
When there is risk of life or severe injury to women (up to the limit of fetal feasibility)
|
An interval not inferior to three days between the first medical assessment and the execution of the procedure is necessary |
Youngsters under 18 years are encouraged to involve their parents or other guardian in the decision. If the person has 15 years or less and decides not to involve an adult, the physician may offer abortion in specific circumstances. If the person has 16 or 17 years and decides not to involve an adult, the physician may offer abortion when confident about the comprehension of information and the consent is valid |
The role of Primary Health Care in the access to legal abortion: international experiences
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UN= United Nations; PHC= Primary Healthcare.
