Abortion in Vanuatu is severely restricted by criminal law. Abortion is illegal under the provisions of section 117 of the Vanuatu Penal Code, Act No. 17 or 7 August 1981. The code states that any woman who intentionally induces a miscarriage is subject to up to two years' imprisonment. Abortion is illegal in cases of rape, incest, and threats to fetal health. The only allocations for abortion are "for good medical reasons", which a United Nations report interprets as to save the life of the pregnant woman and to preserve her physical and mental health. Section 113 of the code states that "No person shall, when a woman is about to be delivered of the child, prevent the child from being born alive by any act or omission of such a nature that, if the child had been born alive and had, then died..." although the italicized statement is vague about its meaning.
Self-induced abortions
The Vanuatu Family Health Association reports various methods women use for self-induced abortions, including the use of local leaves or bark from a tree. Abortions like this that are outside of the medical system endanger the lives of women, as even an immediate visit to a nearby hospital or clinic may be futile if that medical facility does not have the equipment to repair any damage.
References
- ^ Abortion Policies: Oman to Zimbabwe. United Nations Publications. 2001. ISBN 9789211513653. Retrieved 23 November 2014.
- "Abortion Policies: a review of policies, legislation and social indicators for the South Pacific". www.vanuatu.usp.ac.fj. Archived from the original on 2018-09-20. Retrieved 2018-09-19.
- ^ Graue, Catherine (20 June 2014). "New study to research Vanuatu's illegal abortions with fears rates are increasing". ABC News. Retrieved 23 November 2014.
- ^ "Penal Code Act 1981". www.paclii.org. Retrieved 2020-03-06.
- World Population Policies 2017: Abortion Laws and Policies, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, 2020.
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