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Abortion in Nicaragua is completely illegal. Prior to a change in the law, which took effect on 18 November 2006, the law allowed pregnancies to be terminated for "therapeutic" reasons, but this clause is no longer in effect.
Abortion in Switzerland is legal during the first twelve weeks of pregnancy, upon condition of counseling, for women who state that they are in distress. It is also legal with medical indications – threat of severe physical or psychological damage to the woman – at any later time. Switzerland is among the developed nations with the lowest rates of abortions and unwanted pregnancies.
The de jure legal status of abortion in Malta holds that the practice is illegal. Malta is the only country in the European Union to prohibit abortion entirely. Abortion for an ectopic pregnancy is allowed with a case-by-case decision.
Prior to 2006, abortion in Colombia was illegal without exceptions. Therapeutic abortion to save a mother's life was permitted between 1837 and 1936. As of 2020, abortion isn't a crime when it occurs under these three exceptions: (a) the continuation of the pregnancy constitutes a danger to the life or health of the mother; (b) The existence of life-threatening fetal malformations; and (c) The pregnancy is the result of rape, non-consensual artificial insemination or incest.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons in Tonga face legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Homosexuality is illegal in Tonga, with a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment, but the law is not enforced.
Abortion in Latvia is legal and is available on request within the first 12 weeks of pregnancy; and for medical reasons until 22 weeks. While Latvia was a republic of the Soviet Union, abortions were regulated by the Government of the Soviet Union. The Government of Latvia has a "surveillance system" which allows it to collect information on the numbers of abortions performed.
Abortion in Lithuania is legal and available on request until the twelfth week of pregnancy, and up to 22 weeks for medical reasons. While Lithuania was a Republic of the Soviet Union, abortions were regulated by the Government of the Soviet Union.
In Sint Maarten, a Dutch Caribbean constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, foreign policy is set by the Netherlands but all other laws including those related to abortion are self-determined. Abortion in Sint Maarten is illegal, although it may be permissible in circumstances where a pregnancy threatens the woman's life. Despite its illegality, abortions are routinely performed by some medical practitioners and are ignored by authorities.
Abortion in Uganda is illegal unless performed by a licensed medical doctor in a situation where the woman's life is deemed to be at risk.
Abortion in Vanuatu is severely restricted by criminal law. Abortion is illegal under the provisions of section 117 of the Vanuatu Penal Code, Act No. 17 or 7 August 1981. The code states that any woman who intentionally induces a miscarriage is subject to up to two years' imprisonment. Abortion is illegal in cases of rape, incest, and threats to fetal health. The only allocations for abortion are "for good medical reasons", which a United Nations report interprets as to save the life of the pregnant woman and to preserve her physical and mental health. Section 113 of the code states that "No person shall, when a woman is about to be delivered of the child, prevent the child from being born alive by any act or omission of such a nature that, if the child had been born alive and had, then died..." although the italicized statement is vague about its meaning.
Abortion in Samoa is only legal if the abortion will save the mother's life or preserve her physical or mental health and only when the gestation period is less than 20 weeks. In Samoa, if an abortion is performed on a woman for any other reason, or if a woman performs a self-induced abortion, the violator is subject to seven years in prison.
Abortion in Azerbaijan is legal on request up to 12 weeks of pregnancy, and in specific circumstances between 12 and 28 weeks. The current abortion law of Azerbaijan is based on the abortion law of the Soviet Union of 1955 when Azerbaijan was a Republic of the Soviet Union, and no changes were made after Azerbaijan became independent in 1991. Between 1965 and 1987 the abortion rate used to be very high. Since independence, the abortion rate has almost halved and relatively stabilized after 2000. In the 2014, 13.8% of pregnancies in Azerbaijan ended in abortion, a slight rise from the all-time low recorded in 2005 (12.1%).
Abortion in Bahrain is legal upon request, upon authorization by a panel of physicians. By the Penal Code of 1976, abortion is only illegal in Bahrain when it is self-induced which subjects the pregnant woman to up to six months in prison, or when it is performed without the woman's consent, which merits up to ten years' imprisonment.
Abortion in Burkina Faso is only legal if the abortion will save the woman's life, the pregnancy gravely endangers the woman's physical or mental health, the child will potentially be born with an incurable disease, or in cases where the pregnancy is a result of rape or incest, so long as it is proven by a state prosecutor. Even these abortions are limited to the first ten weeks of pregnancy.
Abortion in Qatar is illegal in some circumstances. Under Qatar's penal code, a woman who induces her abortion or who consents to an abortion faces up to five years' imprisonment. Individuals who perform an unauthorized abortion on a woman may face up to five years' imprisonment if she consents, and up to ten years if it is performed without her consent.
Abortion in Thailand is discouraged by law, but is not banned outright if specific criteria are met. Once strict laws have, over time, eased 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. "Chapter 3: Offence Of Abortion" of the Thai Criminal Code addresses the crime of abortion and levies a penalties of up to three years imprisonment and up to 6,000 baht in fines for a woman found guilty of undergoing an illegal abortion. Exceptions are made in the case of rape or other extenuating circumstances. A court decision in early 2020, however, declared a portion of the abortion statutes unconstitutional and ordered that they be rewritten by 13 February 2021, a move that increased public debate on the topic.
Abortion in Guatemala is illegal, except when needed to save the woman's life. Abortion was illegal without exception prior to 1973. Congressional Decree 17-73 altered the penal code to allow abortion in cases in which the pregnant woman's life is endangered in September 1973. The procedure must be done by a physician and approved by a second doctor.
Abortion in Nauru is only legal if the abortion will save the woman's life. In Nauru, if an abortion is induced for any other reason, the violator is subject to fourteen years' imprisonment. A woman who consents to her abortion or performs her own may be imprisoned for up to seven years.
Abortion in South Korea is legal in most circumstances, but illegal abortions are widespread and commonly performed at hospitals and clinics. The South Korean Constitutional Court on April 11, 2019 ruled the abortion ban unconstitutional and ordered the law's revision by the end of 2020.
Abortion in Malaysia is mostly illegal except in cases when a medical practitioner deems that continuing the pregnancy poses a danger to the mother's life, physical health, and mental well-being. Abortion in Malaysia is regulated under Sections 312-316 of the Penal Code. Access to abortion has been hampered by religious, cultural, and social stigmas against abortion, poor awareness of abortion legislation among health professionals, and the high cost of abortion services in the private health sector.
References
- 1 2 Abortion Policies: Oman to Zimbabwe. United Nations Publications. 2001. ISBN 9789211513653 . Retrieved 23 November 2014.
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