Stigma, lack of resources limit access to abortion

AFTER finding out in 2020 that she was five weeks pregnant, Kiri (not her real name), then 24, knew she wanted to abort it.

“It was a clear option for me,” said Kiri, who had just started a new job and was not ready to be a mother, or get married.

But it took her three weeks of research, calls and refusals before she finally secured an appointment to terminate the pregnancy in another province, a two-hour drive from her home in Bangkok.

For many years, induced abortions were largely illegal in Thailand unless the pregnancy was a result of a sex crime or would harm the woman’s physical or mental health.

In February 2021, Thailand made significant changes to its abortion law, allowing more women to pursue the option legally.

Women can now terminate a pregnancy up to 12 weeks gestation. More exceptions were also made, including instances where the woman was below 15, or if there were foetus abnormalities.

But while there are fewer legal barriers, the reality on the ground for the Buddhist-majority country is quite different.

“The law has changed, but nothing much has changed in terms of (ministry) support to get hospitals or provincial health services to do abortions. Doctors who want to provide them will do it, and those who do not want to, (won’t),” said Dr Kritaya Archavanitkul, the coordinator of safe abortion advocacy group Choices Network Thailand.

There have been positive changes and more women are aware of their right to an abortion, said Supeecha Baotip, founder of Tamtang, a pro-choice group.

Based on data from its hotline counselling service, more women were considering abortions when the pandemic hit in 2020.

“Our calls doubled from 300 to 600 a month. Many shared that they faced financial issues and were worried they wouldn’t be able to afford to care for a baby,” she said.

Abortion still remains a stigmatised and divisive topic in society and the medical community.

This has limited the number of safe abortion services that are publicly and easily available for women, and groups like Tamtang are calling for clear government policy and action in the hope of changing this.