Abortion in Singapore

Before 1967, abortion was illegal in Singapore under sections 312–315 of the Penal Code of Singapore[7][8] unless it was necessary to save the life or protect the health of the pregnant woman.[7] This Penal Code, similarly to other Commonwealth countries such as Australia and India, was based on legislation from the United Kingdom in the nineteenth century as the country was under its colonial rule.[9]

In 1966, the Singapore Family Planning and Population Board (SFPPB) was launched in an attempt to control the high rate of population growth in Singapore.[10] The board was in favour of induced abortion as it would aid in its mission.[9] Soon after its creation it began a review of the government's abortion policy and its effectiveness. They concluded that induced abortion should be made available to more women, and they presented these findings to the Health Ministry of Singapore in 1967.[9]

In the same year, the laws were extended to allow abortions in cases of rape, congenital foetal malformation, failed contraception, or certain eugenics cases.[11] Following this change, the rate of illegal abortions was still high. This raised concerns for the safety of Singaporean women.[9] Parliamentary debate on this issue, among others, lead to a reform of abortion law in 1969.[12]

The legalisation of abortion was not influenced by, but helped to regulate Singapore's high population growth rate in the 1960s.[13][9] It was successful, with the population growth rate falling from 2.8% to 0.1% in the 15 years after its introduction.[14] There were 6,815 abortions carried out in Singapore in 2017, bringing the number to the lowest it has been since 1973.[15]

The Abortion Act 1969 had a span of four years and the possibility of being extended to five.[7] The parliamentary whip was lifted for this vote, allowing votes to accurately represent the members’ opinions.[3] It was passed in Parliament with 32 for, 10 against, and one abstention.[3] Chua Sian Chin, the Minister for Health, proposed that the purpose of the bill was designed to protect the health of women "in the interests of humanity and human progress," and "to ensure that the children born are wanted children."[12] Under the bill, a termination of pregnancy could be granted under four circumstances:

• The pregnancy threatened the health or life of the pregnant woman.
• The woman's economic and family circumstances would not be suitable for a child.
• The child, if born, may suffer from health issues or disability.
• The pregnancy is a result of rape or incest.[16]

Initially, consent was required to terminate a pregnancy if the woman in question was unmarried and under 18.[16] This bill was passed in Parliament on 29 December 1969, and it came into effect on 20 March 1970.[17]

The Abortion Act 1974 was passed in Parliament on 23 October 1974 to repeal and amend the Act from 1969.[18] It closely resembled the previous legislation. The five circumstances in which a termination of pregnancy would be granted were removed, allowing the treatment on request. Also, the patient was the only person required to give consent for the procedure to go ahead.[18] The Termination of Pregnancy Act put in place in 1985 brought no major changes aside from its name.[19]

In 1986, mandatory pre-abortion counselling was introduced.[11] This applied to all women who were citizens or permanent residents, had two or fewer children, or had passed the Primary School Leaving Examination.[20] This was amended in 2015 to apply to all women.[21]

Number of abortions completed every year in Singapore (1970-2015)

There was a 673% rise in recorded abortions between 1970 and 1975, due to the sudden availability of treatment.[7][15] This number continued to rise, reaching its peak in 1985 with 23,512 legal abortions.[15] This number influenced the introduction of mandatory pre-abortion counselling in 1986 for most women.[11] As a result, the number of abortions regulated,[11] passing under 20,000 in 1990.[15] Between 2003 and 2012, approximately 300 to 500 abortions were kept after pre-abortion counselling.[25] In 2017 there were 6815 legal abortions carried out.[33]

In 1970 the most common reason for abortion was economic limits or existing family size, explaining 90% of abortions.[17] This continued to be the most common reason in 1983, however it explained only 39% of procedures.[17] Abortions are also commonly justified by marital status, domestic problems, and medical reasons. The least common reason, at a maximum of 4% between 1970 and 1983, was failed contraception.[17]

Between April 1984 and December 1985, the average age of single women presenting for abortion was 23.6.[34] In 2002 the average age of women presenting had risen to 29.6 years old.[35]

The number of teenagers presenting for abortions has decreased. In 2005, 1279 women under 20 had abortions, followed by 1195 in 2009, 578 in 2013 and 343 in 2016.[33] This is almost equal to the 332 babies born to teenagers in 2016.[33] In 1999, 109 patients younger than 16 presented for an abortion, but in 2012 only 59 in this age bracket did.[26] Teenagers are also less likely to have used contraceptives.[34]

In 1985, 69.75% of patients were married.[34] By 2002 this had risen to 75.5%.[35] A total of 58.3% had a secondary school education in 2002.[35]

In 1967, the Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore argued against the legalisation of abortion. Instead, he suggested that religious education could replace the need for abortions.[37]

During the parliamentary debate leading up to the legalisation of abortion in 1969, then Minister of Health, Chua Sian Chin, argued that the stance of religious groups should not be considered in the debate on abortion. He explained that their input was an attempt to "impose their will on the majority". He followed this by suggesting that opposition to the Abortion Bill would be considered redundant in the future.[3]

The parliamentary whip was lifted during the subsequent debate to allow members of parliament to vote according to conscience, which allowed religious opposition within the governing People's Action Party (PAP) to be represented in the vote.[3] Nevertheless, it was passed.[3]

The debate around religion and abortion continued through 2008, following an article in the Straits Times arguing that Singapore's abortion laws should be reviewed.[38] Some readers replied, suggesting that restrictions on abortion would not cause an increase in birth rates, and would create more social inequality.[3]

There has not been any review of Singapore's abortion laws on religious grounds.[38] Any medical professional may conscientiously object to performing a termination of pregnancy on the grounds of religious beliefs. The only case where personal objection is disregarded is if the patient's life is endangered by the pregnancy.[1]

• Chen, A. J.; Emmanuel, S. C.; Ling, S. L.; Kwa, S. B. (May 1985). "Legalized Abortion: The Singapore Experience". Studies in Family Planning. 16 (3): 170. doi:10.2307/1967019. JSTOR 1967019. PMID 4012821.
• Swee-Hock, Saw (2005). Population Policies and Programmes in Singapore. Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS). ISBN 978-981-230-548-0. OCLC 751691053.