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Cambodia: Difference between revisions
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In Cambodia, abortion is legally available on request for the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. After 12 weeks, abortion is only permitted if the life of the woman is endangered by the pregnancy, if the the pregnancy causes health issues to the woman, if the pregnancy was the result of rape, or or if the fetus runs the risk of being born with defects. To receive an abortion after 12 weeks, a woman must receive official approval from at least two medical personnel.<ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abortion_in_Cambodia Abortion in Cambodia]</ref> | In Cambodia, abortion is legally available on request for the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. After 12 weeks, abortion is only permitted if the life of the woman is endangered by the pregnancy, if the the pregnancy causes health issues to the woman, if the pregnancy was the result of rape, or or if the fetus runs the risk of being born with defects. To receive an abortion after 12 weeks, a woman must receive official approval from at least two medical personnel.<ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abortion_in_Cambodia Abortion in Cambodia]</ref> | ||
Since 1997, Cambodia has had official abortion laws. Before that time, the country's abortion laws were unclear. | Since 1997, Cambodia has had official abortion laws. Before that time, the country's abortion laws were unclear from a legal standpoint. In practice, however, abortion was a widely accepted in Cambodia, though in an informal capacity and with no official guidelines or standards. Most often, health care workers provided clandestine abortion services, though they were often not trained to perform abortion procedures. They also often charged exorbitant prices for these services. During this period, people who performed abortions were not prosecuted.<ref>[http://www.un.org/esa/population/publications/abortion/profiles.htm Abortion Policies - UN Report]</ref> | ||
Today, abortion in Cambodia is officially legal. However, many Cambodians remain unclear on the laws. Studies have found up to 80% of Cambodian women falsely believe that abortion is illegal. Forty percent of government providers believe that abortion is prohibited by the Cambodian Ministry of Health (MoH). | Today, abortion in Cambodia is officially legal. However, many Cambodians remain unclear on the laws. Studies have found up to 80% of Cambodian women falsely believe that abortion is illegal. Forty percent of government providers believe that abortion is prohibited by the Cambodian Ministry of Health (MoH). In the past, many NGO workers also falsely believed that they would go against USAID policy if they referred women to safe abortion services.<ref>[http://asap-asia.org/country-profile-cambodia/ ASAP Country Profile: Cambodia]</ref> Later, with the reinstatement of the global gag rule under the Trump administration in the States, such organizations did face a loss of potential USAID if they referred people to such services.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2017/jan/26/global-gag-rule-jeopardises-asia-health-initiatives-campaigners-trump 'Global gag rule' jeopardises future of Asia health initiatives, campaigners say]</ref> As a result, some women are referred to clandestine abortion providers. These "back alley" or clandestine abortion providers are often untrained, and their procedures can lead to complications or even death. | ||
===What to Get & Where to Get It=== | ===What to Get & Where to Get It=== | ||