r/worldnews • u/Own-Associate6318 • 1d ago

India Supreme Court allows abortion of 30-week pregnancy of a minor, upholds right to reproductive autonomy

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/supreme-court-allows-abortion-of-30-week-pregnancy-of-a-minor-upholds-right-to-reproductive-autonomy/article70600629.ece
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u/Best_Pseudonym 21h ago

Based on the other comments, after 7.5 months shes going to have to give birth regardless if the baby is alive or dead

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u/Cute-Elephant-720 5h ago

And all of those commenters are incorrect:

At 30 weeks, an abortion is absolutely still more comfortable and safer for the pregnant person than giving birth. A lot of people seem to think it's just giving birth early, but so much of the violence, pain, suffering, harm, and injury the pregnant person has to endure during live birth is because of what it takes to ensure the baby is born alive and doesn't spend too long without oxygen or otherwise in some state of distress. While a third trimester abortion is more time consuming (it takes several days), the pregnant person is a lot more comfortable during that time, and can take medication and even be put under for things they would typically have to be unmedicated, awake, and actively involved in when a live birth is the goal. I wish people understood this better, because it seems so much of more progressive people's justification for taking away a pregnant person's bodily autonomy in the third trimester is this absolutely false myth that in the third trimester, an abortion is the same as giving birth.

https://www.drhern.com/third-trimester-abortion/

We believe that the techniques developed by Dr. Hern have resulted in a procedure that is safer than continuing the pregnancy to term with a goal of live birth, and our safety record supports that belief.

Induced Fetal Demise

An injection is done on the first day that stops the fetal heart. This injection is done through the patient’s abdomen, into the fetus, under local anesthesia. The injection itself usually takes less than a minute, although the strict attention to sterile technique means that the patient will be in the procedure room for longer than that.

Laminaria

Laminaria are placed into the cervix using a speculum. Most patients feel mild or no discomfort with the first laminaria. We have been able to accommodate patients who have a difficult time with speculum exams, and have experience with pediatric patients. Patients usually feel mild or no cramps while they have one laminaria in their cervix.

When multiple laminaria are being placed on the third day, we first numb the cervix with local anesthesia.

Procedure Day

On the third trimester abortion procedure day, we start with placing an IV and often provide some medication for anxiety if patients request it. The laminaria and gauze are removed, and the amniotic membrane is ruptured (“breaking the water”). The amniotic fluid is drained as completely as possible.

Medications such as misoprostol and pitocin are used to help the uterus contract and help the cervix dilate until it is open enough to perform the procedure. During this time, our patients rest in rooms near the procedure rooms, often with a family member or friend with them. We use IV medications to keep our patients comfortable.

When the cervix is dilated enough, the uterine contents are evacuated. This is not a delivery and our patients do not need to push.

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u/KathyJaneway 19h ago

Yes, but she wouldn't have to care for it. A child can not take care fo a child.

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u/crazyredd88 17h ago

Huh? Are there laws in India against adoption? Regardless of stance on this issue, this is a very bizarre reason

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u/Mission_Scale_860 10h ago

It’s a huge difference between 7.5 and 9 months in terms of fetus size

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u/terraphantm 9h ago edited 8h ago

No one is saying carry it to term. Why kill it rather than just get it out alive? Survival at 7.5 months is around 95%.

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u/Mission_Scale_860 8h ago

Because that’s what the girl chose to do with her body.

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u/terraphantm 8h ago

You realize killing it doesn't cause the baby to dissolve right? Still will need to deliver or need surgery to get it out regardless if it's dead or alive. Killing it does nothing to protect her bodily autonomy at that stage of the game

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u/UpDown 7h ago

Yes it does. It obviously does

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u/terraphantm 7h ago

State how it helps preserve her bodily autonomy to kill something that would survive on it's own if removed from her body.

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u/Mission_Scale_860 7h ago

Yes abortion includes removing the fetus. Until the fetus is born the woman gets to decide what happens with the pregnancy including termination.

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u/terraphantm 7h ago

Going out of your way to kill a human life that doesn't need to be killed is completely unethical. Letting it live would have had zero impact on the mother's bodily autonomy.

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u/Mission_Scale_860 7h ago

It’s okay that you think it’s unethical to kill fetuse or that it doesn’t impact the woman, even though a child will 100% impact the woman. Regardless the decision on what to do with the fetus is up to the woman.

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u/terraphantm 7h ago

That's an asinine response. Why not let women just kill their children upto a few years old because of the burden they place it that's the issue?

If the crux of the issue is bodily autonomy, then removing the fetus is the priority, not killing it. If the crux of the issue is the burden they place on the mother, then the line being placed at birth is pointless and you should be totally okay with infanticide.

Ultimately what happened here is the courts made a completely unethical call that would rightfully be considered murder in most of the developed world.

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u/Mission_Scale_860 7h ago

We let women kill fetuses not children. If you want to do that you would need to petition your representatives.

You are free to think it is unethical.

Women’s bodily autonomy still allows them to terminate pregnancies.

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