There's Room for Abortion, Not All Pregnancies Are Wanted

Starting this year, the Indonesian government allows for the practice of abortion or induced termination of pregnancy.

The provisions are stipulated in Government Regulation Number 28 of 2024, enacted on July 26, 2024.

Article 116 of the regulation states, "Everyone is prohibited from performing abortions, except in cases of medical emergency or for victims of rape or other acts of sexual violence resulting in pregnancy."

This means that abortion is permitted under limited circumstances for pregnant women with medical emergencies, such as pregnancies that threaten the mother's life/health, or the irreparable health of the fetus rendering it unable to survive outside the womb.

Abortion is also permitted in cases of pregnancy resulting from rape, evidenced by a doctor's certificate and a statement from an investigator.

However, it cannot be arbitrary; abortion is only legal if performed in advanced healthcare facilities, with the assistance of competent medical personnel.

7% Unwanted Pregnancies

According to the 2017 Indonesian Demographic and Health Survey (SDKI), not all pregnancies or births are desired by the mother.

Of all pregnancies at the time of the survey and births in the 5 years prior to the survey, the proportion of desired pregnancies/births reached 84%.

Pregnancies/births considered untimely by the mother accounted for 8%, and those unwanted accounted for 7%.

However, the 2017 SDKI did not detail the reasons why these pregnancies/births were unwanted.

This survey was conducted in 2017 across all Indonesian provinces, involving a sample of women aged 15-49 who were pregnant or had given birth at the time of the survey.

The survey was conducted by the National Population and Family Planning Agency (BKKBN), Statistics Indonesia (BPS), the Ministry of Health, and with assistance from the Inner City Fund International.