Medical termination of pregnancy (MTP) is safe up to how many weeks?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → 12 weeks of pregnancy.
MTP stands for medical termination of pregnancy, also called induced abortion. Pregnancy is divided into three trimesters of about three months each. The book says MTP is relatively safe during the first trimester, that is, up to 12 weeks. Abortions in the second trimester carry much more risk. The MTP (Amendment) Act, 2017 allows termination between 12 and 24 weeks only on certain grounds and with the opinion of two registered doctors; this is a legal limit, not the safe period.
NCERT Extract:
Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) – “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. … MTPs are considered relatively safe during the first trimester, i.e., upto 12 weeks of pregnancy. Second trimester abortions are much more riskier.”