Teenage pregnancy and abortions on the rise in Mumbai
Photo: Representational
Local Press Co 5-point Snippet
1. According to a recent data revealed by the BMC, abortions among under-15 girls in Mumbai have increased by over 144% over the last three years.
2. Over the last three years, teen pregnancy witnessed a sharp rise only in the under-15 category wherein the numbers jumped from 111 to 185 and finally to 271.
3. The information collected from registered Medical Termination of pregnancies (MTP) centres further stated that in 2015-16, 34,790 women underwent medical and surgical abortions, while 30,742 abortions were registered in 2014-15. Cases of medical termination of pregnancies among girls aged 15-19 registered nearly a 50% dip in 2015-16, as opposed to 47% increase in 2014-15.
4. The sharp increase in abortions among under-15 girls, although shocking, can be attributed to the stringent implementation of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO), where every under-18 pregnancy has to be informed to the police.
5. The data further stated that more number of abortions are taking place in the legal centres which helps in better record-keeping. While the civic body has termed the city’s volatile abortion graph as a ‘positive trend’, activists believe that schools should focus more on imparting sex education to prevent pregnancy in young girls.
