Termination of Pregnancy Amendment Act

South Africa's Termination of Pregnancy Amendment Act is a law passed on January 17, 2008, to amend the Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Act of 1996. This was decided after many public hearings taken on by both houses of the parliament... It allows a Member of the Executive Council to make regulations in regard to abortion, such as approving where the termination can take place (i.e. facilities). The results came to be 266 parliamentarians voted for the bill, 52 voted against and 12 abstained.

Contents

A registered midwife or nurse who has been registered under the Nursing Act of 1978, and has had extensive medical training. It has to take place in a facility in which a Member of the executive council can approve or disprove. 24-hour maternity services which nurses are available and a mean of communication are available, and is taken place in a facility can terminate a pregnancy up to up to 12 week without approval of a Member of the Executive Council. The person in charge of the 24-hour maternity must notify Member of the Executive Council that they are a 24-hour maternity clinic, and that they meet all the requirements set forth by the act. Within one month of the termination the person in charge must notify the “Head of Department” the information about the abortion by confidential means. The “Head of Department” must record and keep the information that was forwarded to him. The Member of the Executive Council or “Head of Department” must take any means necessary to be sure the act is implemented or followed and that any unlawful activity must be taken under control. [citation|last=Republic of South Africa| title=Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Amendment Bill | url=http://www.pmg.org.za/bills/070620b21-07.pdf | date= June, 2007| year=2007 | isbn=978-1-92040-08-0 |accessdate=2008-05-02]

Impact

The law provides women with reproductive rights, and opens up options for those women. It reduced the number of deaths and health complications. Provides safe abortions rather than backstreet abortions. Reduces healthcare costs of paying for the treatment of the unsafe abortions. Opens up services to people who can’t particularly afford it, such as the young or poor. Ultimately it reduced deaths by 91 percent and health complications by 50 percent. It helps to improve the number and quality of health care providers. It promotes better accounting such as record-keeping, or planning. It helps in decreasing the number of illegal abortions and pointing out when these take place and prosecuting when these take place.

Opposition

This act was challenged by the South African Constitutional Court, who agreed with Doctors for Life, and anti-abortion clinic. Their perspectives were that abortion was unconstitutional. The opposition was mainly directed at the old Act of 1996. Little or no opposition was voiced at the public hearing regarding the revised content of the new act.

ee also

* Abortion in South Africa

References

2. http://www.info.gov.za/view/DownloadFileAction?id=77860

3. http://safeandlegal.blogspot.com/2008/01/reproductive-rights-alliance-in-south.html

4. http://www.ipas.org/Library/News/News_Items/Law_exping_abortion_access_passes_in_South_Africa.aspx