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===Laws & Social Stigmas=== | ===Laws & Social Stigmas=== | ||
In Barbados, abortion is legal under many circumstances, but it is not available upon request. It is legally available when the pregnancy endangers the life of the woman, when the pregnancy endangers the physical or mental health of the woman, when the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest, when there is risk of fetal impairment, and for economic or social reasons. | In Barbados, abortion is legal under many circumstances, but it is not available upon request. It is legally available when the pregnancy endangers the life of the woman, when the pregnancy endangers the physical or mental health of the woman, when the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest, when there is risk of fetal impairment, and for economic or social reasons. For an abortion to be legally performed, it must be authorized by a physician when gestation is 12 weeks or less. It must be authorized by two physicians if the gestation period is between 12 weeks and 20 weeks. It must be authorized by three physicians if the gestation period is over 20 weeks. Furthermore, in all cases, a woman must receive counseling prior to the procedure. The abortion must be performed by a medical practitioner, and if the gestation period is more than 12 weeks, the abortion must be performed in a government hospital. For inquiries regarding abortions in Barbados, a great place to start in the Barbados Family Planning Association (BFPA). They provide abortion services and post-abortion care in their main clinic.<ref>[https://www.ippf.org/about-us/member-associations/barbados IPPF - Barbados Family Planning Association (BFPA)]</ref> | ||
The current abortion laws can be found in the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, which was passed by Congress in 2012. These laws are much more lenient than the colonial-era laws that were previously enforced. Before 2012, abortion was generally illegal in Barbados, and people could be criminally prosecuted for seeking or assisting abortion services. There was a high rate of maternal mortality in Barbados, as many women were dying from unsafe clandestine abortions, and the government wanted to address this problem.<ref>[http://www.trivester.com/comments/barbados/abortion/ The Abortion is the number one cause of death in Barbados]</ref> Furthermore, there was a strong grassroots movement that lobbied for a change in abortion policy. The passing of the law has been part of a larger trend in Barbados to improve health services for women in the country. In 2017, it was reported that the maternal mortality rate in Barbados had decreased by 53% over a 25-year period.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2017/sep/28/why-do-politicians-still-force-women-through-unwanted-pregnancies-dame-billie-miller-barbados Why do politicians still force women through unwanted pregnancies?]</ref> | The current abortion laws can be found in the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, which was passed by Congress in 2012. These laws are much more lenient than the colonial-era laws that were previously enforced. Before 2012, abortion was generally illegal in Barbados, and people could be criminally prosecuted for seeking or assisting abortion services. There was a high rate of maternal mortality in Barbados, as many women were dying from unsafe clandestine abortions, and the government wanted to address this problem.<ref>[http://www.trivester.com/comments/barbados/abortion/ The Abortion is the number one cause of death in Barbados]</ref> Furthermore, there was a strong grassroots movement that lobbied for a change in abortion policy. The passing of the law has been part of a larger trend in Barbados to improve health services for women in the country. In 2017, it was reported that the maternal mortality rate in Barbados had decreased by 53% over a 25-year period.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2017/sep/28/why-do-politicians-still-force-women-through-unwanted-pregnancies-dame-billie-miller-barbados Why do politicians still force women through unwanted pregnancies?]</ref> | ||
To read the text of the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, click [https://srhr.org/abortion-policies/documents/countries/01-Barbados-Medical-Termination-of-Pregnancy-Act-1983.pdf here]. | |||
===What to Get & Where to Get It=== | ===What to Get & Where to Get It=== | ||