Chennai: Post 2015 Tamil Nadu will be on the path to achieve the ‘2030 Goals for Sustainable Development adopted by the United Nations, said members of the Family Planning Association of India (FPAI) on Tuesday.
However, with as many as 75,000 abortions taking place in a year throughout the state of Tamil Nadu his remains one area of concern. Since 2001-02 the figures haven’t reduced and have been consistent.
“MTPs ( medical termination of pregnancy) have seen a steady rise in the state. During the 1970s the number hovered around 4,000. It then rose to 7,000, 12,000, 45,000 and now at 75,000. This is not a good sign,” said Dr P. Muniappan, (retired demographer).
Abortion is legal in India. Close to 3,500 women each year face morbidity as a result of unsafe abortion. Nearly 10 women die due to unsafe abortions each day. In 2010, unsafe abortions caused 9 percent of all maternal deaths.
Providing safe abortion can ensure healthy lives and help achieve gender equality said Dr Chitra Ramesh, MD, Associate Professor, Institute of Community Medicine, MMC. However, Dr Muniappan said, “Adolescents need sexually related health information.”
Another factor contributing to the rise in abortions is that families do not want more children. “Newly married couples generally want two children and not more after which they go for abortions due to lack of knowledge”. Further he also pointed towards the role of those belonging to the adolescent group where 92 per cent of unmarried adolescents chose to terminate the pregnancy, with 18 percent reporting that it resulted from non-consensual sex.
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