Although Iranian authorities have widely restricted access to abortion in an effort to reverse demographic decline, more women are going outside the law to end unwanted pregnancies.
According to Iranian Health Ministry data news online According to the news website In June 2024, more than 600,000 illegal abortions are performed per year in Iran.
Experts say poverty, unemployment and lack of social protection are forcing women to seek abortions despite the serious risks.
In November 2021, Iranian lawmakers under the auspices of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei passed a law titled “Population Rejuvenation and Family Support”.
The “Population Law”, which is in effect for a trial period of 7 years, was immediately condemned.
UN human rights experts issued a statement Demanding repeal of the law. She declared the law to be a “direct violation of women’s human rights under international law.”
According to UN activists, “this law violates the rights to life and health by blocking access to a range of reproductive health services” and information on reproductive rights.
Severe restrictions on reproductive health care
Under the population law, abortion will be permitted only with the permission of a panel consisting of a judge, a court-appointed doctor and a forensic doctor in case of threat to the life of the mother or fetus.
Doctors or surgeons who perform abortions illegally risk permanent loss of their licenses, two to five years in prison, and heavy fines.
Contraceptives are also no longer provided free of charge in health centers or pharmacies. Additionally, the law criminalizes any form of sterilization, including procedures such as vasectomy and tubal ligation.
The Islamic penal code allows men to report their wives for having an abortion. In such cases, women face fines based on the results of the forensic investigation.
No prior genetic testing pregnancy
In October 2024, the head of the Center for Population Growth in Iran’s Ministry of Health warned that the center’s staff were actively identifying couples planning abortions in hospitals and doctors’ offices in order to pressure them and They can be prevented from doing so.
The law also eliminated the obligation to undergo genetic testing before pregnancy. Before adoption, abortion was permitted if the fetus was proven to have a serious disability by three doctors. This is expected to lead to a dramatic increase in birth defects.
According to the law, laboratories must register their patients’ data online. This will allow pregnant women to be identified and punished if they later fail to give birth.
UN experts said, “The data clearly shows that criminalizing termination of pregnancy does not reduce the number of women who resort to abortion.” “Instead, it forces women to risk their lives by undergoing secret and unsafe procedures.”
Women turn to the black market for abortions
There are many indications that government sanctions have turned Iran into a booming black market for abortion drugs.
Dr. Parveen Delshad, a doctor and lecturer at the University of Queensland in Australia, told DW that these restrictive laws increase maternal mortality through “underground abortion.”
“Whether abortion is performed at home using medication to promote bleeding or by surgical intervention, it should be performed under the supervision of a specialist. In both cases, it should be ensured that there is no threat to life. Yes,” she says. Said.
Delshad stressed that doctors should ensure that women planning an abortion do not suffer from sexually transmitted diseases, as this increases the risk of pelvic infections and subsequent infertility.
According to the doctor, women who take illegal abortion drugs are often unaware of the health complications and put their lives at risk due to unsafe pregnancy termination.
Iranian Health Ministry data shows that about 60% of abortions are performed at home using abortion pills, 30% in doctors’ clinics and 10% in “herbal stores” using herbal preparations.
Iran’s population problem
In November 2024, Iran’s Deputy Health Minister Alireza Raisi warned that declining birth rates meant Iran’s population could shrink by 50% before 2100.
As well as strict restrictions on reproductive health, Iranian authorities are offering “incentives” under the population law to encourage families to have more children.
These include providing 200 square meters of land for families with a third child, brand new vehicles for mothers with a second child and full health insurance for unemployed mothers with three or more children.
However, a sociologist at the University of Tehran told DW that he doubts Iranian authorities can actually provide these incentives to families.
“Before discussing population growth, we must ask ourselves how many resources are actually available. Can these promises be kept?” The expert said on condition of anonymity. He says that without the Iranian public’s full acceptance of having more children, the laws will have only a superficial effect, even if they are imposed by repressive measures.
“What about quality of life and social well-being? Is there appropriate access to health care and education? And what is the labor market potential?” he asked.
According to the sociologist, even if the law entices more people to have more children in economically depressed circumstances, structural problems in Iran’s economy and society will remain a challenge to future development.
Edited by: Wesley Rahn
