Abortion in India

Ground Realities
2. Auflage 2026
ISBN: 978-1-041-04266-2
Verlag: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Buch, Englisch, 338 Seiten, Format (B × H): 156 mm x 234 mm

Despite the legalisation of abortion in India in 1971 and new laws / regulation introduced in 2002 and 2021, and notwithstanding the positive impact of Medical Abortion, the sad reality is that morbidity and mortality continue to remain worrisome for many women undergoing abortions. In early 2000s, a lack of reliable information, wide regional and rural-urban differences and a thin research base made it difficult for policymakers, administrators and women’s health advocates to develop strategic interventions.

The earlier edition of this book used the in-depth qualitative research studies done in early 2000s to highlight issues that emerged. These studies were part of the Abortion Assessment Project – India (AAP-I) jointly anchored by CEHAT and HealthWatch. The studies included sought to build a body of knowledge on all facets of induced abortion, such as the unmet needs for contraception and abortion, the son preference, the preference for private providers and the neglected needs of the single, widowed or separated women, to list policy level and on-ground implementation issues. More crucially, they highlight the need to integrate diverse viewpoints that would further ease progression towards the common goal of making abortion an infrequently used but safe alternative for women faced with an unwanted pregnancy.

The second edition revisits the studies in light of demographic shifts, changing social attitudes, technological advances, and expanded access to medical abortion, reflecting evolving reproductive rights in India. The book will be of interest to health activists and researchers, policy makers and programme implementers and those studying gender issues.

Zielgruppe

Academic, General, and Postgraduate

Autoren/Hrsg.

Visaria, Leela

Kalyanwala, Shveta

Ramachandran, Vimala

Fachgebiete

• Sozialwissenschaften Soziologie | Soziale Arbeit Spezielle Soziologie Stadt- und Regionalsoziologie
• Sozialwissenschaften Soziologie | Soziale Arbeit Soziale Gruppen/Soziale Themen Gender Studies, Geschlechtersoziologie
• Medizin | Veterinärmedizin Medizin | Public Health | Pharmazie | Zahnmedizin Pflege Hebammen, Geburtshilfe
• Sozialwissenschaften Soziologie | Soziale Arbeit Soziale Gruppen/Soziale Themen Abtreibung, Geburtenkontrolle: Soziale & Ethische Themen
• Interdisziplinäres Wissenschaften Wissenschaften Interdisziplinär Regionalwissenschaften, Regionalstudien

Inhaltsverzeichnis

List of figures. List of tables. List of boxes. List of contributors. Preface. Glossary. 1. Abortion Use and Practice: Evidence, Challenges and Emerging Issues - Leela Visaria, Shveta Kalyanwala, Vimala Ramachandran and Bela Ganatra 2. Abortion Care in Urban Slums: The Case of Ahmedabad - Alka Barua 3. Women, Work and Abortion Practices in Tamil Nadu - S. Anandhi 4. Abortion among Married Women - Anjali Radkar 5. Sex-Selective Abortion in Gujarat and Haryana: Some Empirical Evidence - Leela Visaria 6. Community Perspectives on Abortion: An Ethnographic Exploration of Rural Pune - Sudhakar Morankar, Bhupali Mhaskar,Vidula Purohit, Mrudul Patil and Abhay Kudale 7. Post-Abortion Care in the Public Health System - M. Prakasamma 8. Induced Abortion: A Study of Rural Tamil Nadu - P. Balasumbramanian, T. K. Sundari Ravindran and U. S. Mishra 9. Pregnancy Wastage among the Poor in Coastal Karnataka - K. Susheela and K. Nagaraj 10. Informal Providers of Abortion Services: An Exploration - Bela Ganatra and Leela Visaria 11. Medical Abortion and its Expansion in India - Shveta Kalyanwala. Index.

Über Autor(innen)

Leela Visaria, Ph.D. in Sociology from Princeton University is an Honorary Professor and a former Director at Gujarat Institute of Development Research, Ahmedabad. Her research has been in historical demography, health, family planning, education and demographic transition. She has authored several peer-reviewed articles and has co-authored or edited seven books. During 1994-99, she served as a coordinator of HealthWatch. She was awarded National Professorship during Asian Population Association during 2009-2010.

Shveta Kalyanwala is a qualitative researcher working in an interdisciplinary manner on health, education, social justice and rights. She has undertaken research on a range of issues including maternal health (SRHR, abortion and post abortion care, family planning, HIV/AIDS), adolescents (life-skills building, SRHR, comprehensive sexuality education, access to secondary education), health system strengthening, social justice. She has published articles in peer reviewed journals. She was a team member of Health Watch Trust and a national level study on Abortion Incidence in India conducted by the Guttmacher Institute, IIPS and Population Council.

Vimala Ramachandran has been working on school education and the intersection between health and education. She co-conceptualised Mahila Samakhya (Education for Women’s Equality) and was the first National Project Director from 1988-93 in MHRD, GOI. She was the Managing Trustee of HealthWatch from 1994 to 2004 and Co-coordinator of Abortion Assessment Project - India (AAP-I). She established ERU Consultants Private Limited in 1998 and a National Fellow and Professor of Teacher Management and Development in NUEPA (2011-2015).