Abortion in Guyana

Last updated

Abortion in Guyana is legal during the first eight weeks of pregnancy, but it is illegal after eight weeks except in cases of endangering the maternal or fetal health. Throughout much of the 20th century, it was officially illegal but rarely were laws against abortion ever enforced. In 1995, legislation was passed which made abortion legal as long as it was done within the first 8 weeks of pregnancy and done with the consent of the pregnant woman and by a licensed medical practitioner. [1]

Contents

Between 8 and 12 weeks from conception, abortion is only legal if the pending childbirth would result in health risks for the woman or the fetus alternatively if the pregnancy occurred despite the use of contraceptives. Between 12 and 16 weeks, an abortion can still be legally performed, but only if the health of the woman or fetus is in danger. After 16 weeks, it is only possible to perform an abortion in the case of severe health-related circumstances. [1]

Legislation

During the final years of the PNC's rule under Forbes Burnham, the PNC drafted a bill similar to a Medical Termination of Pregnancy Bill passed in Barbados in 1983. The bill was shelved as being too contentious at the time before the 1990 election, and from a "noisy, public rally" held by a minority of fundamentalist Christians. [2]

The Pro-Reform Group (PRG) approached legalizing abortion with the context of benefitting public health rather than as a moral battleground: old anti-abortion laws were shown to do little in the way of actually reducing the number of attempted abortions, and in 1991, septic abortion was the third leading cause of admission to hospitals; burdening an already weak healthcare system. Amid a growing global interest in women's issues, it was praised internationally, however local engagement of the issue was slim. The issue gained individual support, but very little in the way of other organization representation. [2]

In 1995, Guyana passed what was then considered some of the most liberal abortion laws in South America with the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act. It was championed by Gail Teixeira, and signed by President Cheddi Jagan. However, when women seeking lawful abortions went to Georgetown Public Hospital days after the bill was passed, they were turned away. Despite a successful public campaign and legal reform, access to abortion was not provided at either of the country's largest hospitals (Georgetown Public Hospital as well as New Amsterdam Public Hospital). [2]

Hospitals were not actively rejecting abortion, but unclear regulation and uncertainty regarding administering abortions turned hesitation into a denial of service. Nor were any health institutions providing statistical information about services undertaken related to failed attempts of abortion. An important exception was the work of Dr. M.Y. Bacchus, a gynecologist who advised other doctors on quality of care that coincided with a 41% drop in hospital admissions related to incomplete abortions. An advisory board for track the results of the bill was formed in 1996, but opponents discouraged religious leaders from joining, damaging the public credibility of such a group. An untimely death of the first chairman let to a replacement by a member of the International Planned Parenthood Federation, but extensive travel made leadership in the role challenging. [2]

In 2006, the Guyanese government theoretically cleared the way for public hospitals to "perform abortions". In actuality, the public hospitals only complete abortions which have already been partially undertaken by pregnant women. [3] They began doing so in 2008.

The Guyanese government continues to look for ways to lower the number of abortions in Guyana. [3]

Non-government efforts

Comprehensive services for family planning are done by NGOs. The Family Planning Association of Guyana provides services for poor women, but they are completely dependent on foreign aid. [2] Since wealthier women have more access to family planning services, poorer women are proportionately disadvantaged in terms of education and economic support. [4]

Red Thread is another group that actively campaigns and educates for women's rights.

Reporting

Even though reporting is required by law, an estimate in 2012 is that less than a quarter of all terminations are being reported. [2]

There has been a concern of Guyana becoming a destination for "abortion tourism" but documented cases show this is not the case. Reports in the late 90s also show that demographically, abortion is represented proportionally across all races and religions. In 2010, a survey showed that 99.7% abortions were performed in private clinics, while treatment of complications was 70% done in public hospitals. [2]

Methods

Cyotec has been accessible in Guyana since the late 90s from pharmacists, and RU486 since around 2010. D&C is the most common procedure in hospitals. [2]

Men's issues

Vasectomies are rarely promoted in the Caribbean. [2]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abortion in the United States</span> Termination of a pregnancy in the United States

Abortion in the United States and its territories is a divisive issue in American politics and culture wars, with widely different abortion laws in U.S. states. Since 1976, the Republican Party has generally sought to restrict abortion access based on the stage of pregnancy or to criminalize abortion, whereas the Democratic Party has generally defended access to abortion and has made contraception easier to obtain. The abortion-rights movement advocates for patient choice and bodily autonomy, while the anti-abortion movement maintains the fetus has a right to live. Historically framed as a debate between the pro-choice and pro-life labels, most Americans agree with some positions of each side. Support for abortion gradually increased in the U.S. beginning in the early 1970s, and stabilized during the 2010s.

Late termination of pregnancy, also referred to as late-term 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. In 2015, about 1.3% of abortions in the United States took place after the 21st week, and less than 1% occur after 24 weeks.

Abortion in Finland will be legal and free of charge upon request in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy starting from 1 September 2023. Between 1970 and 2023 abortion was widely accessible in practice for a variety of reasons but nevertheless the law required the pregnant woman to state her motivations and get approval from one or two doctors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abortion law</span> Laws that allow, prohibit, or regulate abortion

Abortion laws vary widely among countries and territories, and have changed over time. Such laws range from abortion being freely available on request, to regulation or restrictions of various kinds, to outright prohibition in all circumstances. Many countries and territories that allow abortion have gestational limits for the procedure depending on the reason; with the majority being up to 12 weeks for abortion on request, up to 24 weeks for rape, incest, or socioeconomic reasons, and more for fetal impairment or risk to the woman's health or life. As of 2022, countries that legally allow abortion on request or for socioeconomic reasons comprise about 60% of the world's population.

Abortion in Australia is legal. It has been fully decriminalised in all jurisdictions, starting with Western Australia in 1998 and lastly in South Australia in 2022. Access to abortion varies between the states and territories: surgical abortions are readily available on request within the first 16 to 24 weeks of pregnancy, although with no limit on gestational term in the Australian Capital Territory. Later term abortions generally require the approval of two doctors, though are heavily restricted in Western Australia after 20 weeks.

Abortion in Sweden was first legislated by the Abortion Act of 1938. This stated that an abortion could be legally performed in Sweden upon medical, humanitarian, or eugenical grounds. That is, if the pregnancy constituted a serious threat to the woman's life, if she had been impregnated by rape, or if there was a considerable chance that any serious condition might be inherited by her child, she could request an abortion. The law was later augmented in 1946 to include socio-medical grounds and again in 1963 to include the risk of serious fetal damage. A committee investigated whether these conditions were met in each individual case and, as a result of this prolonged process, abortion was often not granted until the middle of the second trimester. As such, a new law was created in 1974, stating that the choice of an abortion is entirely up to the woman until the end of the 18th week.

Abortion in Germany is illegal, but not punishable during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy under the condition of mandatory counseling, and it is permitted later in pregnancy in cases that the pregnancy poses an important danger to the physical or mental health of the pregnant woman. In the case that the abortion is because of rape it is legal in the first 12 weeks without mandatory counseling. Otherwise in the illegal, but not punishable case, the woman needs to receive counseling, called Schwangerschaftskonfliktberatung, at least three days prior to the abortion and must take place at a state-approved centre, which afterwards gives the applicant a Beratungsschein. Abortions that do not meet these conditions are punishable.

Abortion in Israel is permitted when determined by a termination committee, with the vast majority of cases being approved as of 2019. The rate of abortion in Israel has steadily declined since 1988, and compared to the rest of the world, abortion rates in Israel are moderate. According to government data, in Israel, abortion rates in 2016 dropped steadily to 9 per 1,000 women of childbearing age, lower than England (16.2) and the United States (13.2). 99% of abortions are carried out in the first trimester. Despite allegations of permitting abortion under limited circumstances, Haaretz noted in 2019 that this is not the case and abortion is almost always permitted in Israel.

<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 on request during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, and under certain conditions afterwards. Abortion is provided free at government hospitals and a tele-medical or 'pills by post' service is provided by Marie Stopes South Africa and Women on Web International Foundation, partnered with Abortion Support South Africa. Abortion was legal only under very limited circumstances until 1 February 1997, when the Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Act came into force, providing elective abortion for a variety of cases.

Abortion in Italy became legal in May 1978, when Italian women were allowed to terminate a pregnancy on request during the first 90 days. A proposal to repeal the law was considered in a 1981 referendum, but was rejected by nearly 68% of voters; another referendum aimed at eliminating the restrictions was rejected by 88.4%.

This is a timeline of reproductive rights legislation, a chronological list of laws and legal decisions affecting human reproductive rights. Reproductive rights are a sub-set of human rights pertaining to issues of reproduction and reproductive health. These rights may include some or all of the following: the right to legal or safe abortion, the right to birth control, the right to access quality reproductive healthcare, and the right to education and access in order to make reproductive choices free from coercion, discrimination, and violence. Reproductive rights may also include the right to receive education about contraception and sexually transmitted infections, and freedom from coerced sterilization, abortion, and contraception, and protection from practices such as female genital mutilation (FGM).

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 Turkey has been legal on request since May 27, 1983. Abortion is legal up to 10 weeks of pregnancy, and in special circumstances the time threshold can be extended if there is danger to the woman's life or the life of the fetus. During the ten weeks, an abortion is allowed for the following reasons: the pregnancy threatens the woman's mental and/or physical health, the fetus would be physically or mentally impaired, if the conception occurred through rape or incest, and economic or social reasons. The woman's consent is required. If the woman is under the age of 18, then parental consent is required. If the woman is married, the consent of the husband is also required. Single women over the age of 18 can choose to have an abortion on their own.

Abortion in Spain is legal upon request up to 14 weeks of pregnancy, and at later stages for serious risk to the health of the woman or fetal defects.

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.

Abortion in Zimbabwe is available under limited circumstances. Zimbabwe's current abortion law, the Termination of Pregnancy Act, was enacted by Rhodesia's white minority government in 1977. The law permits abortion if the pregnancy endangers the life of the woman or threatens to permanently impair her physical health, if the child may be born with serious physical or mental defects, or if the fetus was conceived as a result of rape or incest. Nevertheless, an estimated 70,000+ illegal abortions are performed in Zimbabwe each year, resulting in around 20,000 maternal deaths.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abortion-rights movements</span> Social movement advocating for legal access to abortion

Abortion-rights movements, also referred to as pro-choice movements, advocate for the right to have legal access to induced abortion services including elective abortion. They seek to represent and support women who wish to terminate their pregnancy without fear of legal or social backlash. These movements are in direct opposition to anti-abortion movements.

Abortion in Thailand is legal and available on-request up to 20 weeks of pregnancy. Abortion has been legal up to at least 12 weeks of pregnancy since 7 February 2021. Following a 2020 ruling of the Constitutional Court which declared a portion of the abortion statutes unconstitutional, the Parliament removed first-term abortion from the criminal code. Once strict, over time laws have been relaxed to take into account high rates of teen pregnancy, women who lack the means or will to raise children, and the consequences of illegal abortion.

Abortion in Singapore is legal and widely accessible. It was formally legalised in 1974, being one of the first countries in Asia to do so. It is available on request for Singaporean citizens, permanent residents, individuals with an issued student or work pass, individuals who have been a resident of Singapore for a minimum of four months as well as anyone married to a Singaporean citizen or a permanent resident. Foreigners may also obtain an abortion in Singapore if their lives are endangered.

Abortion is available legally in Hong Kong.

References

  1. 1 2 "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-09-13. Retrieved 2017-06-28.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Nunes, Fred (2012). "Legal but Inaccessible: Abortion in Guyana". Social and Economic Studies. 61 (3): 59–94. ISSN   0037-7651. JSTOR   41803768.
  3. 1 2 "Abortions available at public hospitals across Guyana at propaganda press! Freedom in Guyana". Archived from the original on 2008-12-03. Retrieved 2008-12-28.
  4. ↑ "Women dying for abortion rights". Stabroek News. 2019-03-11. Retrieved 2021-01-15.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.