The Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that unmarried women may obtain an abortion for a pregnancy that began as a result of a consensual relationship between 20 and 24 weeks.
The Supreme Court ruled that it is unlawful to exempt a single, unmarried woman who is living with someone else from the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Rules.
According to the SC, making a distinction between married and unmarried women for the purposes of abortion regulations is arbitrary and constitutionally untenable.
It went on to say that making a distinction between married and single women ‘perpetuates the misconception that only married women are sexually active.’
The court further stated that married and unmarried women are not treated differently under the 2021 modification to the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act (MTP).
For particular categories of women, including as rape survivors, incest victims, and other vulnerable women (such differently abled women, adolescents, etc.), the legislation currently permits abortion up to 24 weeks.
Up to 20 weeks of gestation, only one provider’s opinion will be necessary; for termination of a pregnancy between 20 and 24 weeks, two physicians’ opinions will be required.
Other than to a person permitted by a currently in force law, a woman whose pregnancy has been terminated’s name and other information may not be disclosed.
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