Read the passage carefully and give the answer to the next five questions:

India was amongst the first countries in the world to initiate action plans and programmes at a national level to attain total reproductive health as a social goal. These programmes called 'family planning' were initiated in 1951 and were periodically assessed over the past decades. Improved programmes covering wider reproduction-related areas are currently in operation. Creating awareness among the people about various reproduction-related aspects and providing facilities and support for building up a reproductively healthy society are the major tasks under these programmes.

Which of the following statements is incorrect with respect to Medical Termination of Pregnancy?

MTPS can be performed even after 24 weeks, but with the opinion of 2 registered medical practitioners on specific grounds.

The correct answer is Option (3) - MTPS can be performed even after 24 weeks, but with the opinion of 2 registered medical practitioners on specific grounds.

Intentional or voluntary termination of pregnancy before full term is called medical termination of pregnancy (MTP) or induced abortion. Nearly 45 to 50 million MTPs are performed in a year all over the world which accounts to 1/5th of the total number of conceived pregnancies in a year. ( 1/5th = 20 % )

Government of India legalised MTP in 1971 with some strict conditions to avoid its misuse. Such restrictions are all the more important to check indiscriminate and illegal female foeticides which are reported to be high in India. MTP is to get rid of unwanted pregnancies either due to casual unprotected intercourse or failure of the contraceptive used during coitus or rapes.

MTPs are also essential in certain cases where continuation of the pregnancy could be harmful or even fatal either to the mother or to the foetus or both.

MTPs are considered relatively safe during the first trimester, i.e., upto 12 weeks of pregnancy. Second trimester abortions are much more riskier.

The termination of pregnancy can be performed based on the opinion of a single RMP within 12 weeks of gestation, while it requires the opinion of two RMPs for termination between 12 and 20 weeks of gestation.