title: The importance of considering the evidence in the MTP 2014 Amendment debate in India - unsubstantiated arguments should not impede improved access to safe abortion.
abstract: With the objective to improve access to safe abortion services in India, the Ministry of Health and Welfare, with approval of the Law Ministry, published draft amendments of the MTP Act on October 29, 2014. Instead of the expected support, the amendments created a heated debate within professional medical associations of India. In this commentary, we review the evidence in response to the current discourse with regard to the amendments. It would be unfortunate if unsubstantiated one-sided arguments would impede the intention of improving access to safe abortion care in India.
authors.affiliation: Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Akademiska Sjukhuset, Uppsala, Sweden; mandira.paul@kbh.uu.se.
authors.forename: Mandira
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Paul
authors.affiliation: Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Kristina Gemzell
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Danielsson
authors.affiliation: Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Akademiska Sjukhuset, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Birgitta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Essén
authors.affiliation: Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.|School of Education, Health and Social Studies, Dalarna University, Falun, Sweden.
authors.forename: Marie Klingberg
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Allvin
mesh_terms: D000028:Abortion, Induced / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D005260:Female; D006291:Health Policy / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D011247:Pregnancy; D016387:Women's Health / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*
keywords: India; abortion; health policy; women's health
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