US EditionAbortion in Afghanistan: ‘My Mother Crushed My Stomach with a Stone’
Illegal abortion and limited contraception access force Afghan women to use dangerous methods, contributing to rising maternal risks amid strict Taliban enforcement and societal stigma.
- Abortion in Afghanistan is illegal and punishable by imprisonment, but some desperate women resort to life-threatening methods like taking toxic drugs or using heavy objects to crush their stomachs.
- The fear of being stigmatized and arrested is strong among Afghan women seeking abortions, forcing them to conceal their actions and claim miscarriage at hospitals.
- The closure of family planning services, lack of access to modern contraception, and banning of women from medical education have exacerbated the risks and challenges surrounding abortion in Afghanistan under Taliban rule.
32 Articles
32 Articles
Kabul, Afghanistan. When Bahara was four months pregnant, she went to a hospital in Kabul to beg for an abortion. “We can’t do it,” a doctor told her. “If anyone finds out, we’ll all end up in jail.” Abortion is illegal in Afghanistan and anyone who practices it or helps carry it out can be jailed. But Bahara was desperate. Her unemployed husband had ordered her to “find a solution”: he didn’t want a fifth daughter. “We can barely feed” the girl…
Abortion is strictly prohibited in Afghanistan and is only permitted when the mother's life is in danger. Violating the law can land both women and doctors in jail. This prevents women from even accessing safe medical abortions. Daughters are considered a burden in society, forcing women to resort to clandestine and dangerous methods. Restrictions on health and education services have increased since the Taliban took power. Fear, shame, and comp…
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