Abortion in Cambodia

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Abortion in Cambodia is legal upon request within the first twelve weeks of pregnancy. [1]

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After twelve weeks, abortions are only legal in Cambodia when they will save the woman's life or preserve her health, the pregnancy is a result of rape, or the child may be born with an incurable disease. [1] In any of these instances, at least two medical personnel must approve the abortion. [1]

As of 2023, Medabon (a combination therapy containing two medicines called mifepristone and misoprosto) is the only available product for inducing medical abortion in Cambodia. Registered in Cambodia in 2010, it is available at pharmacies and limited number of clinical practices. [2]

The Cambodia Demographic and Health Survey 2014 [3] reported that 12% of women have had at least one abortion in their lifetime. 60% of abortions are surgical, while 40% used medications. Of the medical abortions, 61% occurred under the care of a healthcare provider and the remainder reported no assistance or no involvement of a provider.

One study following 2,083 Cambodian women found that use of over-the-counter abortion medication was as effective and safe as abortion medication administered in a clinical setting. Despite this, there are still many barriers to accessing abortion in Cambodia, increasing stigma and driving individuals towards less safe abortions. [4]

Abortion law in Cambodia (1997)

Abortion is legal in Cambodia up to twelve weeks of pregnancy under the law of 1997. If the woman seeks an abortion after 12 weeks of pregnancy, it is only allowed under certain conditions: [5]

a) if there are chances that the pregnancy/fetus is not developing normally or continuation of the pregnancy poses a threat to the woman's life

b) if the fetus has developed a disease that cannot be cured

c) if the unintended pregnancy is the result of rape

In the above stances, "either 2 or 3" doctors must approve these cases for the abortion to take place. It is mandatory to have the consent or permission from the woman seeking an abortion, for abortion. The abortion can only be carried out by "medical doctors, medical practitioners or midwives" who are authorized from the Ministry of Public Health

Abortion stigma in Cambodia

Though abortion is legal in Cambodia, an unmarried woman seeking an abortion is looked down upon. [6] Women are expected not to indulge in sex before marriage and getting pregnant before marriage is frowned upon. Dr Ouk Vong Vathiny, executive director of Reproductive Health Association of Cambodia, told Phenompenhpost, [6] "Many women don't want to tell anyone because as Buddhists, the community considers it a sin."

According to a study conducted by BMC, [7] 40 percent every 32 women's deaths reported in Cambodia, resulted from unsafe Abortion. According to another a report by the Guttmacher Institute, [8] abortion, despite being legal in the county, is not widely available because of the shame and stigma attached to it, thus forcing women to opt for alternative unsafe routes like "deep massage abortion" [9] —a traditional practice. Abortion has a history in Cambodia and one of the traditional methods of deep massage abortion, where pressure is applied to a pregnant woman's stomach to abort the fetus, can be seen in one of the stone carvings in the 12th century temple of Angkor Wat in Cambodia. The next carving shows that the same woman and the people who helped her in terminating the pregnancy by massage of abdomen, are condemned to "underworld". [10]

The bas-relief sculptures in Angkor Wat, Cambodia are the first ever known of an abortion in progress. [11] Experts describe the deep massage abortion methods [12] as high risk as it causes hemorrhage and severe bleeding [13] to the woman who is seeking an abortion by this method.

Related Research Articles

Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus. An abortion that occurs without intervention is known as a miscarriage or "spontaneous abortion"; these occur in approximately 30% to 40% of all pregnancies. When deliberate steps are taken to end a pregnancy, it is called an induced abortion, or less frequently "induced miscarriage". The unmodified word abortion generally refers to an induced abortion. The reasons why women have abortions are diverse and vary across the world. Reasons include maternal health, an inability to afford a child, domestic violence, lack of support, feeling they are too young, wishing to complete education or advance a career, and not being able or willing to raise a child conceived as a result of rape or incest.

Late termination of pregnancy, also referred to as third trimester abortion, describes the termination of pregnancy by induced abortion during a late stage of gestation. In this context, late is not precisely defined, and different medical publications use varying gestational age thresholds. As of 2015 in the United States, more than 90% of abortions occur before the 13th week, 1.3% of abortions in the United States took place after the 21st week, and less than 1% occur after 24 weeks.

An abortion clinic or abortion provider is a medical facility that provides abortions. Such clinics may be public medical centers, private medical practices or nonprofit organizations such as Planned Parenthood.

Dilation and evacuation (D&E) is the dilation of the cervix and surgical evacuation of the uterus after the first trimester of pregnancy. It is a method of abortion as well as a common procedure used after miscarriage to remove all pregnancy tissue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Self-induced abortion</span> Abortion performed by a pregnant person themselves outside the recognized medical system

A self-induced abortion is an abortion performed by the pregnant woman herself, or with the help of other, non-medical assistance. Although the term includes abortions induced outside of a clinical setting with legal, sometimes over-the-counter medication, it also refers to efforts to terminate a pregnancy through alternative, potentially more dangerous methods. Such practices may present a threat to the health of women.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Unsafe abortion</span> Termination of a pregnancy by using unsafe methods

An unsafe abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by people lacking the necessary skills, or in an environment lacking minimal medical standards, or both. An unsafe abortion is a life-threatening procedure. It includes self-induced abortions, abortions in unhygienic conditions, and abortions performed by a medical practitioner who does not provide appropriate post-abortion attention. About 25 million unsafe abortions occur a year, of which most occur in the developing world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sexual and reproductive health</span> State of the reproductive system without evidence of disease, disorders, or deficiencies

Sexual and reproductive health (SRH) is a field of research, health care, and social activism that explores the health of an individual's reproductive system and sexual well-being during all stages of their life.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abortion in South Africa</span> Overview of the legality and prevalence of abortions in South Africa

Abortion in South Africa is legal by request when the pregnancy is under 13 weeks. It is also legal to terminate a pregnancy between week 13 and week 20 under the following conditions: the continued pregnancy would significantly affect the pregnant person's social or economic circumstances, the continued pregnancy poses a risk of injury to the pregnant person's physical or mental health, there is a substantial risk that the foetus would suffer from a severe physical or mental abnormality, or the pregnancy resulted from rape or incest. If the pregnancy is more than 20 weeks, a termination is legal if the foetus' life is in danger, or there is a likelihood of serious birth defects.

Abortion in India has been legal under various circumstances with the introduction of the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, 1971. The Medical Termination of Pregnancy Regulations, 2003 were issued under the Act to enable women to access safe and legal abortion services.

Abortion in Venezuela is currently illegal except in some specific cases outlined in the Venezuelan Constitution, and the country has one of Latin America's most restrictive laws.

In Trinidad and Tobago, abortion is illegal save for few exceptions. The respective laws are in place since 1925.

Unintended pregnancies are pregnancies that are mistimed, unplanned or unwanted at the time of conception.

Abortion in Greece has been fully legalized since 1986, when Law 1609/1986 was passed effective from 3 July 1986. Partial legalization of abortion in Greece was passed in Law 821 in 1978 that provided for the legal termination of a pregnancy, with no time limitation, in the event of a threat to the health or life of the woman. This law also allowed for termination up to the 12th week of pregnancy due to psychiatric indications and to the 20th week due to fetal pathology. Following the passage of the 1986 law, abortions can be performed on-demand in hospitals for women whose pregnancies have not exceeded 12 weeks. In the case of rape or incest, an abortion can occur as late as 19 weeks, and as late as 24 weeks in the case of fetal abnormalities. In case of inevitable risk to the life of the pregnant woman or a risk of serious and continuous damage to her physical or mental health, termination of pregnancy is legal any time before birth. Girls under the age of 18 must get written permission from a parent or guardian before being allowed an abortion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ipas (organization)</span>

Ipas is an international, non-governmental organization that seeks to increase access to safe abortions and contraception. To this end the organization informs women how to obtain safe and legal abortions and trains relevant partners in Africa, Asia, and Latin America on how to provide and advocate for these.

A medical abortion, also known as medication abortion, occurs when drugs (medication) are used to bring about an abortion. Medical abortions are an alternative to surgical abortions such as vacuum aspiration or dilation and curettage. Medical abortions are more common than surgical abortions in most places, including Europe, India, China, and the United States.

Abortion is illegal in Bangladesh under most situations, but menstrual regulation is often used as a substitute. Bangladesh is still governed by the penal code from 1860, where induced abortion is illegal unless the woman is in danger.

Abortion is a controversial topic in Nigeria. Abortion in Nigeria is governed by two laws that differ depending on geographical location. Northern Nigeria is governed by The Penal Code and Southern Nigeria is governed by The Criminal Code. The only legal way to have an abortion in Nigeria is if having the child is going to put the mother's life in danger. However, sex-selective abortion has long had acceptance in Nigeria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abortion in Kenya</span> Termination of pregnancy in Kenya

Abortion in Kenya is prohibited with the exception of certain circumstances including danger to the life and health of the expectant mother, and rape. Unsafe abortions are a major cause of deaths and health complications for women in Kenya.

In 2005, the Ethiopian Parliament liberalised the abortion law to grant safe abortions to women in specific circumstances.

Misinformation related to abortion pertains to incorrect or misleading information related to abortion and its implications, including its medical, legal and societal effects. Misinformation related to abortion can stem from political, religious and social groups, particularly on social media. Abortion misinformation can impact public opinion, access to abortion services and policy-making. Misinformation can also divert pregnant people from accessing safe and timely care from appropriately trained medical practitioners. Similarly, abortion misinformation can lead to confusion, stigma and increased feeling of shame in those undergoing the procedure.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Cambodia". Abortion Policies: A Global Review (DOC). Vol. Country Profiles. United Nations Population Division. 2002. Retrieved 14 March 2017.
  2. ↑ Petitet, Pascale Hancart; Ith, Leakhena; Cockroft, Melissa; Delvaux, Thérèse (December 2014). "Towards safe abortion access: an exploratory study of medical abortion in Cambodia". Reproductive Health Matters. 22 (sup44): 47–55. doi:10.1016/S0968-8080(14)43826-6. ISSN   0968-8080.
  3. ↑ Statistics/Cambodia, National Institute of; Health/Cambodia, Directorate General for; International, I. C. F. (2015-09-01). "Cambodia Demographic and Health Survey 2014".{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  4. ↑ Kapp, Nathalie; Mao, Bunsoth; Menzel, Jamie; Eckersberger, Elisabeth; Saphonn, Vonthanak; Rathavy, Tung; Pearson, Erin (2023-03-09). "A prospective, comparative study of clinical outcomes following clinic-based versus self-use of medical abortion". BMJ Sexual & Reproductive Health: bmjsrh–2022–201722. doi:10.1136/bmjsrh-2022-201722. ISSN   2515-1991. PMC   10579469 . PMID   36894309.
  5. ↑ "Kram Dated November 12, 1997 on Abortion" (PDF).
  6. 1 2 "Abortion stigma and controversy in Cambodia".
  7. ↑ "BMC Public Health". doi:10.1186/s12889-016-3838-7. PMC   5117563 . S2CID   18500726.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  8. ↑ "Guttmacher" (PDF).
  9. ↑ "Deep Massage Method of Abortion" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2021-12-10. Retrieved 2018-09-28.
  10. ↑ "Underworld".
  11. ↑ "Thousand Year Old Depictions of Massage Abortion" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2021-12-10. Retrieved 2018-09-28.
  12. ↑ "Deep Massage Abortion". YouTube .
  13. ↑ "Abdominal Massage Abortion".
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