The taboo tax

India's abortion laws recognise a woman's right to choose, but stigma and inflated costs often make that choice hard

- Tisha Elizabeth Jacob

Richa Saxena walked the hospital corridor, whispers trailing behind her—not of care or concern, but of judgment.

She was at the health centre for an abortion. A doctor herself—a third-year resident in Maharashtra—she felt each gaze sear into her. She was unmarried. The news spread quickly among the nurses.

“I was six weeks pregnant,” she says. “I was mentally prepared, but not for the slut-shaming and the expense.”

The hostility and comments from nurses and taunts from bystanders about her ‘missing husband’ left her humiliated—even within her own profession.

Richa’s ordeal mirrors what countless women in India continue to endure.

Decades of progressive policies have enabled women to strive for equality. But when it comes to control over their own bodies, do they truly have the final say?

Though abortion is legal in India with certain conditions, the emotional toll, social stigma, legal hurdles and health risks make it a tumultuous experience.

Dr Veena J.S., assistant professor, department of forensic medicine and toxicology, PSG Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Coimbatore, recalled cases from recent years. After talking to the women involved and the investigating officers, she realised that the issue with medical termination of pregnancy (MTP) in the country was deep rooted. “One common element I could see was that all of them pleaded with gynaecologists in a government hospital for abortion; among them, two were unmarried,” says Veena. “They went to the government doctors because they could not afford private clinics. They were well within three months of pregnancy, but all doctors denied abortion, saying that it was not legal to terminate after three months. And, they pointed out, there was no clause for terminating pregnancy in unmarried women.”