Some stats and about illegal abortions
Mar 25th, 2006 by Lilian
I have forgotten how I stumbled upon this page. Since it is a newly released press comment by the Malaysian Medical Association dated 7th February 2006, I would like to point out some info and stats.
15% of pregnancies ended in miscarriages.
15% of pregnancies can end in miscarriages or abortions as the lay person calls it. There are about 550, 000 pregnancies a year that end up in the delivery of a live baby in Malaysia a year. In other words, about 80, 000 miscarriages occur in Malaysia per year.
What is D&C and why it must be done.
Some of these miscarriages need a procedure commonly called a D&C or Dilatation and Curettage. It basically means expanding the pathway through the cervix and extracting the contents of the uterus. The procedure is also called an evacuation of retained products of conception. A D&C is usually done to remove products of pregnancy, which are not alive or viable. It must be stressed that a D&C is not illegal. It is a commonly done procedure that is medically indicated when the pregnancy is non-viable, as leaving the products inside the uterus will expose the woman to infection and bleeding.
What is illegal abortions and why people perform it.
it is illegal to do anything to disrupt the pregnancy. This group would include single women who become pregnant, those who become pregnant and do not want to continue because of financial or social reasons as well as those who want the pregnancy discontinued because they do not want a child of a specific gender. Doctors or anyone else like bomohs and bidans who perform such procedures are acting against the law and should be reported to the police or the Malaysian Medical Council who have the power to act against such practitioners.
When it is legal.
Evacuating a pregnancy that is alive is not illegal if the continuation of the pregnancy means that the life of the mother is in great danger. An example would be severe heart disease or kidney disease in the mother. If two specialists agree that the pregnancy endangers the life of the mother, then it is legal to perform a procedure like a D&C to stop the pregnancy from proceeding. The law also allows those who become pregnant from an act of rape to undergo termination of pregnancy.
Well, if you are interested to read the whole text, please surf over to the MMA site.