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Johannesburg: Difference between revisions
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→Abortion
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For the abortion to be legal, the woman must first get approval from two independent physicians (not including the physician who will perform the abortion). One of the consulting physicians must have practiced medicine for at least four years. If the abortion is being performed to preserve the woman's mental health, a psychiatrist must be one of the consulting physicians. If the abortion is being performed due to unlawful intercourse, a district surgeon must approve of the abortion. Furthermore, if the abortion is being performed due to rape, incest or intercourse with an intellectually-disabled woman, there will typically need to be a certificate issued by a local magistrate to authorize the abortion on such grounds. | For the abortion to be legal, the woman must first get approval from two independent physicians (not including the physician who will perform the abortion). One of the consulting physicians must have practiced medicine for at least four years. If the abortion is being performed to preserve the woman's mental health, a psychiatrist must be one of the consulting physicians. If the abortion is being performed due to unlawful intercourse, a district surgeon must approve of the abortion. Furthermore, if the abortion is being performed due to rape, incest or intercourse with an intellectually-disabled woman, there will typically need to be a certificate issued by a local magistrate to authorize the abortion on such grounds. | ||
The abortion cannot be performed by any of the consulting physicians. | To obtain an abortion, consulting/counseling is not required but it is recommended. | ||
The abortion cannot be performed by any of the consulting physicians. During the first twelve weeks of pregnancy, a physician or midwife may perform the abortion. After twelve weeks of pregnancy, only a medical practitioner can perform the abortion. The abortion must be performed at a government hospital (or another approved institution) by a physician. The hospital superintendent must approve the abortion. | |||
Until 1975, abortion law in South Africa was under Roman-Dutch Common Law, which only permitted abortion if the life of the woman was endangered by the pregnancy. Then, in 1975, The Abortion and Sterilization Act of 1975 was passed, which expanded abortion availability to include women who would suffer from mental/physical health issues if the pregnancy would be continued, women who were victims of rape or incest or were intellectually-disabled (or, as the law called it "idiot or imbecile"), or if the fetus was at risk of being born with a mental/physical defect. The Act required that three physicians approve of the abortion. Since the Act was still fairly restrictive, most women at the time did not seek legal abortions and the majority of abortions (200,000 per year) were performed illegally. | Until 1975, abortion law in South Africa was under Roman-Dutch Common Law, which only permitted abortion if the life of the woman was endangered by the pregnancy. Then, in 1975, The Abortion and Sterilization Act of 1975 was passed, which expanded abortion availability to include women who would suffer from mental/physical health issues if the pregnancy would be continued, women who were victims of rape or incest or were intellectually-disabled (or, as the law called it "idiot or imbecile"), or if the fetus was at risk of being born with a mental/physical defect. The Act required that three physicians approve of the abortion. Since the Act was still fairly restrictive, most women at the time did not seek legal abortions and the majority of abortions (200,000 per year) were performed illegally. | ||