Abortion in the Comoros

In the Comoros, abortion is illegal unless medically necessary. An abortion typically must be approved by two doctors. People who receive or conduct abortions may be punished with fines or imprisonment. The country's abortion law, based on French abortion law, only allowed abortion in the case of risk to life before a 1982 amendment. Intimate partner violence is a factor associated with abortions. Some women who get pregnant from sexual assault and cannot access abortions commit infanticide.

## Legislation

[edit]

Article 304 of the penal code of the Comoros bans abortion:[1]

Quiconque, par aliments, breuvages, médicaments, manœuvres, violences ou par tout autre moyens aura procuré ou tenté de procurer l'avortement d'une femme enceinte, ou supposée enceinte qu'elle y ait consenti ou non , sera puni d'un emprisonnement d'un à cinq ans et d'une amende de 15.000 à 100.000 francs.

Anyone who uses foods, beverages, medications, operations, violence, or any other means to procure or attempt an abortion on a pregnant or supposed pregnant woman, whether or not she has consented, will be punished by a prison sentence of one to five years and a fine of 15,000 to 100,000 francs.

Women who receive illegal abortions may be punished. The only legal grounds for abortion are "very serious medical reasons, noted in writing by at least two doctors".[1] The requirement for two doctors' approval may be waived if only one doctor is available.[2] The law does not set a gestational limit.[3]

The original abortion law of the Comoros was based on that of France, only permitting abortion on the ground of risk to life. The wording of the 1939 amendment to France's abortion law remains in the Comoros' law.[2] The penal code adopted in 1982 added the ground for "serious medical reasons".[4] The Comoros was one of the first ten countries to sign the Maputo Protocol, which includes a right to abortion.[5]

## Prevalence

[edit]

In 2015–2019, the rate of unintended pregnancies was 95 per 1,000 women of reproductive age. During this period, there were 6,100 abortions per year, a rate of 31 per 1,000 women. The abortion rate had remained constant since 1990–1994, while the rate of unintended pregnancies had decreased by 35%.[6]

According to a 2021 study, women in the Comoros who have experienced intimate partner violence are more likely to have abortions.[7] The lack of legal abortion and the high rates of sexual assault are factors that lead women to commit infanticide. Cases of infanticide are commonly reported in the country.[8]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "Zone sud de l'océan Indien : un accès à l'avortement (dangereusement) limité". Imaz Press Réunion. 16 June 2022. Retrieved 16 November 2024.
2. ^ a b Knoppers, Bartha Maria; Brault, Isabel; Sloss, Elizabeth (1990). "Abortion Law in Francophone Countries". The American Journal of Comparative Law. 38 (4): 889–922\. doi:10.2307/840616. ISSN 0002-919X.
3. ^ "Country Profile: Comoros". Global Abortion Policies Database. World Health Organization. 17 May 2022. Retrieved 17 November 2024.
4. ^ Hessini, Leila (July 2008). "Islam and Abortion: The Diversity of Discourses and Practices". IDS Bulletin. 39 (3): 18–27\. doi:10.1111/j.1759-5436.2008.tb00458.x.
5. ^ Hessini, Leila (2005). "Global Progress in Abortion Advocacy and Policy: An Assessment of the Decade since ICPD". Reproductive Health Matters. 13 (25): 92. ISSN 0968-8080.
6. ^ "Country profile: Comoros". Guttmacher Institute. 2022. Retrieved 17 November 2024.
7. ^ Ahinkorah, Bright Opoku (1 March 2021). "Intimate partner violence against adolescent girls and young women and its association with miscarriages, stillbirths and induced abortions in sub-Saharan Africa: Evidence from demographic and health surveys". SSM - Population Health. 13: 100730. doi:10.1016/j.ssmph.2021.100730. ISSN 2352-8273. PMC 7815812. PMID 33511264.
8. ^ Biheri (31 May 2015). "Infanticide : Fait-divers ou fait commun comorien?". Al-Watwan. Retrieved 17 November 2024.

* v
* t
* e

Abortion

Main topics|

* Definitions
* History
* Methods
* Abortion debate
* Philosophical aspects
* Abortion law

Movements|

* Abortion-rights movements
* Anti-abortion movements

Issues|

* Abortion and mental health
* Beginning of human personhood
* Beginning of pregnancy controversy
* Abortion-breast cancer hypothesis
* Anti-abortion violence
* Abortion under communism
* Birth control
* Crisis pregnancy center
* Ethical aspects of abortion
* Eugenics
* Forced abortion
* Genetics and abortion
* Late-term abortion
* Legalized abortion and crime effect
* Libertarian perspectives on abortion
* Limit of viability
* Malthusianism
* Men's rights
* Minors and abortion
* Misinformation related to abortion
* Natalism
* One-child policy
* Paternal rights and abortion
* Post-abortion care
* Prenatal development
* Prenatal rights
* Reproductive rights
* Self-induced abortion
* Sex-selective abortion
* Sidewalk counseling
* Societal attitudes towards abortion
* Socialism
* Termination for medical reasons
* Toxic abortion
* Unsafe abortion
* Women's rights

By country|

| Africa|

* Algeria
* Angola
* Benin
* Botswana
* Burkina Faso
* Burundi
* Cameroon
* Cape Verde
* Central African Republic
* Chad
* Comoros
* Egypt
* Equatorial Guinea
* Eswatini
* Gabon
* The Gambia
* Ghana
* Guinea
* Ivory Coast
* Kenya
* Lesotho
* Liberia
* Libya
* Madagascar
* Malawi
* Mauritius
* Morocco
* Namibia
* Nigeria
* Senegal
* Seychelles
* Sierra Leone
* South Africa
* Tanzania
* Togo
* Tunisia
* Uganda
* Zambia
* Zimbabwe

|

Asia|

* Afghanistan
* Armenia
* Azerbaijan
* Bahrain
* Bangladesh
* Bhutan
* Brunei
* Cambodia
* China
* Cyprus
* Georgia
* India
* Iran
* Israel
* Japan
* Kazakhstan
* North Korea
* South Korea
* Laos
* Lebanon
* Malaysia
* Nepal
* Northern Cyprus
* Philippines
* Qatar
* Saudi Arabia
* Singapore
* Taiwan
* Timor-Leste
* Turkey
* United Arab Emirates
* Vietnam
* Yemen

Europe|

* Albania
* Andorra
* Austria
* Belarus
* Belgium
* Bosnia and Herzegovina
* Bulgaria
* Croatia
* Czech Republic
* Denmark
* Estonia
* Finland
* France
* Germany
* Greece
* Hungary
* Iceland
* Ireland
* Italy
* Kazakhstan
* Latvia
* Liechtenstein
* Lithuania
* Luxembourg
* Malta
* Moldova
* Monaco
* Montenegro
* Netherlands
* North Macedonia
* Norway
* Poland
* Portugal
* Romania
* Russia
* San Marino
* Serbia
* Slovakia
* Slovenia
* Spain
* Sweden
* Switzerland
* Ukraine
* United Kingdom

North America|

* Bahamas
* Belize
* Canada
* Costa Rica
* Cuba
* Dominican Republic
* El Salvador
* Guatemala
* Honduras
* Mexico
* Nicaragua
* Panama
* Trinidad and Tobago
* United States

Oceania|

* Australia
* Micronesia
* Fiji
* Kiribati
* Marshall Islands
* New Zealand
* Papua New Guinea
* Samoa
* Solomon Islands
* Tonga
* Tuvalu
* Vanuatu

South America|

* Argentina
* Bolivia
* Brazil
* Chile
* Colombia
* Ecuador
* Guyana
* Paraguay
* Peru
* Suriname
* Uruguay
* Venezuela

Law|

* Case law
* Constitutional law
* History of abortion law
* Laws by country
* Buffer zones
* Conscientious objection
* Fetal protection
* Six-week bans
* Informed consent
* Late-term restrictions
* Parental involvement
* Spousal consent

Methods|

* Vacuum aspiration
* Dilation and evacuation
* Dilation and curettage
* Intact D&X
* Hysterotomy
* Instillation
* Menstrual extraction
* Medical abortion
* Abortifacient drugs
* Methotrexate
* Mifepristone
* Misoprostol
* Oxytocin
* Self-induced abortion
* Unsafe abortion

Religion|

* Buddhism
* Christianity
* Catholicism
* Hinduism
* Islam
* Judaism
* Scientology

* Category

* v
* t
* e

Abortion in Africa

Sovereign states|

* Algeria
* Angola
* Benin
* Botswana
* Burkina Faso
* Burundi
* Cameroon
* Cape Verde
* Central African Republic
* Chad
* Comoros
* Democratic Republic of the Congo
* Republic of the Congo
* Djibouti
* Egypt
* Equatorial Guinea
* Eritrea
* Eswatini
* Ethiopia
* Gabon
* The Gambia
* Ghana
* Guinea
* Guinea-Bissau
* Ivory Coast
* Kenya
* Lesotho
* Liberia
* Libya
* Madagascar
* Malawi
* Mali
* Mauritania
* Mauritius
* Morocco
* Mozambique
* Namibia
* Niger
* Nigeria
* Rwanda
* São Tomé and Príncipe
* Senegal
* Seychelles
* Sierra Leone
* Somalia
* South Africa
* South Sudan
* Sudan
* Tanzania
* Togo
* Tunisia
* Uganda
* Zambia
* Zimbabwe

States with limited
recognition

* Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
* Somaliland

Dependencies and
other territories

* Canary Islands / Ceuta / Melilla  (Spain)
* Madeira (Portugal)
* Mayotte / Réunion (France)
* Saint Helena / Ascension Island / Tristan da Cunha (United Kingdom)

* v
* t
* e

Comoros articles

History|

* Bantu
* Shirazi
* Sultans
* Slavery in the Comoros
* French Comoros
* Territory of the Comoros
* Colonial governors
* 1979–1989
* Operation Azalee
* 2008 invasion of Anjouan
* Wars
* Coups

Geography|

* Cities
* Climate
* Regions
* Volcanoes
* Wildlife

Politics|

* Constitution
* Elections
* Foreign relations
* Human rights
* LGBT
* Law enforcement
* Military
* Political parties
* President
* Vice-President
* Prime Minister

Economy|

* Agriculture
* Franc (currency)
* Mining
* Telecommunications
* Tourism
* Trade unions
* Transport

Society|

* Abortion
* Corruption
* Culture
* Demographics
* Education
* Flag
* Health
* Holidays
* Languages
* Media
* Music
* Olympics
* Religion

* Outline
* Index

* Category

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template