Abortion Limit For Rape Survivors, Minors Raised To 24 Weeks

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New Delhi: The central government has raised the time limit for abortion to 24 weeks. The gestation period allowed earlier was 20 weeks.

According to Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Rules, 2021, survivors of sexual assault, rape or incest, minors and women who get divorced or widowed during their pregnancy and women with physical disabilities can now terminate their pregnancies even as the foetus is 24 weeks old.

Women suffering from mental illnesses or cases of foetal malformation with a risk of being incompatible with life or if the child is born in may suffer physical or mental abnormalities to be seriously handicapped and pregnant women in humanitarian or emergency situations, as declared by the government can also undergo an abortion, the new rules said.

The state medical board will be review requests made by women for abortion under any of the mentioned special cases and issue a decision within three days, it added.