Legal, but out of reach: Medical termination of pregnancy remains arduous for India’s young people
Despite progressive changes introduced by the MTP Act, procedural rigmarole and biases remain obstacles to access. A case study by CEHAT raises the most important questions.
Anirudh Narayanan
18 July 2025
THE MEDICAL TERMINATION OF PREGNANCY (AMENDMENT) ACT, 2021, marked a significant step forward by the Government of India in expanding access to reproductive services and abortion care for all. This progressive legislation simplified the procedural requirements and extended the permissible gestation limits. Notably, the Act also extended the provision of Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) services to unmarried people, thereby promoting inclusivity and ensuring reproductive rights for a broader segment of society.
Despite the progressive changes introduced by the MTP Act, the accessibility of MTP services continue to be fraught with procedural rigmarole and attitudinal biases. This article seeks to present the hurdles faced by young women in accessing abortion services on the ground.
Daisy*, a 19-year-old girl from a metropolitan city in India, lives with her mother and siblings. She got into an intimate relationship with an 18-year-old boy she met on a social media app and planned to get married to him. When his family refused to support their marriage, they eloped. They returned after his family assured them that they would not oppose their union. Upon returning, however, the boy's family broke their promise and arranged his engagement to another girl and the boy also started avoiding Daisy.
Despite the progressive changes introduced by the MTP Act, the accessibility of MTP services continue to be fraught with procedural rigmarole and attitudinal biases.
After having missed her periods, Daisy discovered she was pregnant through a home pregnancy test. She informed the boy and he promised to marry her. But he blocked her from all communication and eventually Daisy confided in her mother and they filed an FIR under Section 69 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) - "sexual intercourse by employing deceitful means". The boy was arrested and she was brought to the hospital for a medical examination by the police. Fearing further legal trouble, the boy’s family renewed their promise to get them married and care for the child. Trusting them, she decided to continue with the pregnancy and not seek MTP. She was eighteen weeks pregnant and returned home after the medical examination.
A few more weeks passed by and Daisy realised that the boy’s family was merely trying to safeguard him and had no intentions of getting them married. At this stage, she was 22 weeks pregnant. Carrying the burden of the pregnancy alone, she discussed the repercussions with the mother and decided to go back to the hospital for an MTP. But upon her return, the gynaecology healthcare professionals reprimanded her for not seeking MTP when she first came for an examination. They asked her to bring a police memo if she wanted to terminate the pregnancy. The police stated that no such memo was required for a medical procedure but the health care professionals insisted on it. After a lot of back and forth, Daisy was able to get a memo from the police requesting for medical treatment and and was admitted.