Network for Women’s Options in Unplanned Pregnancies and RSA Volunteer Network propose amending the law to make ‘termination of pregnancy’ a legitimate right of women, stating that women still have unsafe abortions because the law is not supportive. They plan to submit a constitutional court interpretation and campaign ‘Abortion is not a crime, women are not criminals.’
September 26, 2018, today from 9:00 – 12:00, the Network for Women’s Options in Unplanned Pregnancies and RSA Volunteer Network held a seminar “Let’s Talk Abortion” on the occasion of International Safe Abortion Day, September 28, every year at the Sanjai Conference Room, Office of the National Health Commission, Ministry of Public Health.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kritaya Archavanitkul, coordinator of the Network for Women’s Options in Unplanned Pregnancies, said that the main issue of abortion in Thai society from past to present has two key points: The first is about the mindset embedded in Thai criminal law, which views abortion as a crime, and women who are unprepared for pregnancy and have abortions are criminals, guilty under Section 301, which is the only section in the Penal Code that punishes only women. Other sections related to various offenses use the term ‘person,’ which includes both women and men. This section punishes women even though there is no victim because it is a decision made about their own bodies. What the network wants to drive is the repeal of Section 301, but personally, I would like to see all abortion-related laws repealed, which are Sections 301-305. How and to what extent abortion can be performed should be a matter of health regulations.
Somwong Uraiwattana, responsible for the 1663 AIDS and Unplanned Pregnancy Counseling Hotline, said that between October 1, 2015 – June 30, 2018, there were 52,370 people who received counseling services from the 1663 hotline on unplanned pregnancies. Of these, 29,191 knew they were pregnant, and 19,097 decided to terminate the pregnancy, accounting for 83.4% of those who were already pregnant.
Specifically, from October 2017 – June 2018, there were 12,215 people with unplanned pregnancies who received counseling services from 1663, and 8,577 decided to terminate the pregnancy. Among these, 652 people, or 7.6%, revealed that they had self-terminated the pregnancy before calling for counseling. Among these, at least 36 had health problems of the mother or fetus that met medical criteria but were denied termination of pregnancy because the hospital did not provide termination services.
“For women with unplanned pregnancies, there should be options for managing the problem because having options is better than having none. The more options there are, the better, because people will choose the best option for themselves. But currently, for women with unplanned pregnancies, there are almost no options at all,” Somwong said.
Dr. Somchai Peerapakorn, a member of the RSA Volunteer Network (Referral system for safe abortion) and a retired WHO staff member, said that from his experience working on women’s mortality, deaths from unsafe abortion are something that should not happen. In developed countries, the mortality rate from unsafe abortion is very low because they have a good, quality, and safe service system for women with unplanned pregnancies who want to terminate the pregnancy. If Thailand can make it so that women with unplanned pregnancies can access services without being dehumanized, it is believed that the severity of the unplanned pregnancy problem will decrease. Women will not rely on “underground” abortion services because they can go to the hospital for services.
“Hospitals should have a good system for providing services to women with unplanned pregnancies. When women walk in, they should know who they will consult with, what their options are, and if they decide, what the process will be to manage the problem. Just like diabetes, patients go for blood sugar tests, and the hospital has signs indicating the steps and health impacts if blood sugar levels are high for patients to know. The issue of unplanned pregnancy should be able to do this as well,” Dr. Somchai said.
Dr. Boonrit Sukrat, Deputy Director of the Bureau of Reproductive Health, Department of Health, Ministry of Public Health, added that the Department of Health supports policies to reduce unsafe abortions, such as supporting the inclusion of Medabon abortion pills in the essential drug list, supporting the RSA volunteer network, and contributing to the enactment of the Prevention and Solution of the Adolescent Pregnancy Problem Act, B.E. 2559 (2016). This is not only about the safety of terminating a pregnancy but also for the good quality of life of women with unplanned pregnancies.
Tatsanai Khantayaporn, Network for Women’s Options in Unplanned Pregnancies, said that although current laws allow women who are not ready to terminate a pregnancy, they are still considered laws that conflict with rights and equality principles. He wants to communicate to society that abortion is not a criminal offense but medical care aimed at preserving the life and safety of women. This afternoon, the network will submit a letter to the Constitutional Court to interpret whether the said criminal law conflicts with rights and freedoms. The main content of the letter to be submitted for interpretation is to propose the repeal of Section 301 of the Penal Code because it conflicts with gender equality principles and affects women’s rights and freedoms in life and body. As for Sections 305, 301, and 302, which state that termination of pregnancy can be performed by a doctor if due to the woman’s health and the pregnancy results from sexual offenses under criminal law, it is requested to add exceptions, including cases where the woman’s gestational age does not exceed 12 weeks, cases where the pregnancy affects mental health, cases where the fetus is deformed or at risk of genetic disease, and for the performer, it is requested to add medical personnel working under the supervision of a doctor.
In addition to submitting a letter to the Constitutional Court, the Network for Women’s Options in Unplanned Pregnancies and the R-SA Volunteer Network will organize a campaign activity “Abortion is not a crime, women are not criminals” in front of the Constitutional Court after submitting the letter.
Source: https://prachatai.com/journal/2018/09/78859