Criminal Abortion

Definition-

According to Indian Penal Code, definition stands as- whoever volunteers causes a woman with a child to miscarry shall (except done under MTP Act) be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extent to 3 years, or with fine or both. Any person who is not registered medical practitioner or any woman who causes herself to miscarry shall cause an offence punishable under the Code.

Procedure-

In this country, probably most of criminal abortion are induced by some person rather than self-induced by women herself. Abortion is done by introducing vaginally of stick, bark, catheter, paste, hair pin & also D & C or rupture of membranes.

Dangers-

This entails grave risks to woman due to haemorrhage, shock, perforation of vagina, uterus, intestinal injuries, peritonitis, septicaemia, haemolysis, hepatic damage & anuria. About 20% dies, as a remote complication, tubal occlusion makes a young girl sterile forever.

Diagnosis-

Patient comes as septic incomplete abortion with or without complications detailed above. Rarely evidences of recent injuries or foreign body in the genital tract can be found. Women does not commonly admit the event.

Management-

This is treated as septic abortion. The duty of a medical attendant as a citizen is to report the matter to the police if there is any reason to conclude that the abortion is a criminal one, but as a doctor, his medical code is to keep the matter secret. For a case under care, one has to exercise one’s discretion for a compromise of these two lines of action. If a woman is dying police has to be informed to record of dying declaration. In case of her death, the police must be informed.