But the law states otherwise. A woman does not need her husband's or partner's permission to get an abortion.

Under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, a pregnancy can be terminated under these circumstances.

1. If the pregnancy can cause physical or mental injury to the mother.
2. In case the foetus has a handicap
3. In case the pregnancy is the result of a rape.
4. In case of the failure of contraception.

"It is easy nowadays for a woman to get an abortion as the government is looking to reduce the population. But it might get difficult if the laws are changed," says Manisha Gupte, Co-Convenor of MASUM, an organization working for rural women.

Who can Perform an MTP

"MTP should be performed only by a qualified allopathic medical practitioner. He should have received special training after his medical graduation," says Gupte.

MTP should be performed in an institution, which has been licensed to do it by the government.

Such institutions will have a certificate hung up where it is in full view of patients.

Special Exceptions

In the case of a woman under the age of 18 or a mentally instable girl, a guardian's written consent is required.
A woman above the age of 18 however, (married or unmarried), has the right to an MTP. The husband's consent is not required to terminate the pregnancy.

"But sometimes, the doctor, fearing problems with the husband, refuses to perform the operation without his written consent. This is in total contravention of the law," states Gupte.

Women can protest against this and file a case against the doctor. But it hardly happens because of the stigma attached to an abortion.
Also, the woman doesn't have a lot of time to waste if she needs to terminate a pregnancy. Because of this, they opt to either go for expensive operations in private clinics or unsafe abortions by quacks.