Singapore
ABORTION POLICY
Grounds on which abortion is permitted:
To save the life of the woman
To preserve physical health
To preserve mental health
Rape or incest
Foetal impairment
Economic or social reasons
Available on request
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Additional requirements:
A legal abortion requires the written consent of the pregnant woman. Abortion is available on request
during the first 24 weeks of gestation unless the procedure is immediately necessary to save the life or to
prevent grave permanent injury to the physical or mental health of the pregnant woman. A legal abortion is
restricted to citizens of Singapore, wives of Singapore citizens and women that have resided in Singapore for a
minimum duration of four months. The qualifications required of physicians performing abortion at different
stages of pregnancy are defined: if gestation does not exceed 16 weeks, the physician should have a minimum
of 24 months’ experience in a recognized obstetrics and gynaecological unit; thereafter, additional specialist
qualifications are required. A legal abortion must be performed in a government hospital or other approved
institution.
REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CONTEXT
Government view on fertility level:
Too low
Government intervention concerning fertility level:
To raise
Government policy on contraceptive use:
Direct support provided
Percentage of currently married women using
modern contraception (aged 15-44, 1982):
73
Total fertility rate (1995-2000):
1.7
Age-specific fertility rate (per 1,000 women aged 15-19, 1995-2000):
7
Government has expressed particular concern about:
Morbidity and mortality resulting from induced abortion
Complications of childbearing and childbirth
No
No
Maternal mortality ratio (per 100,000 live births):
National (1990-1994)
South-eastern Asia (1990)
4.8
440
Female life expectancy at birth (1995-2000):
79.3
Source: Population Policy Data Bank, maintained by the Population Division, Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United
Nations Secretariat. For additional sources, see reference section.
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Singapore
BACKGROUND
Until 1969, abortion legislation in Singapore was based on British laws adopted in the nineteenth century.
The performance of an abortion was in general a criminal act punishable under sections 312-316 of the Penal
Code. However, an abortion was permitted if performed in good faith to preserve the life of the pregnant
woman.
The first legislative act designed to liberalize abortion law was enacted on 20 March 1970. The Act
permitted an abortion to be performed on broad medical, eugenic, juridical and socio-economic grounds.
Abortions carried out on medical or eugenic grounds could be performed during the first 24 weeks of
pregnancy, while abortions performed on juridical and socio-economic grounds could be performed only
during the first 16 weeks of pregnancy.
In general, before an abortion was performed, it had to receive the approval of a board composed of 11
members (Termination of Pregnancy Authorization Board). Section 5(3) of the Abortion Act, however,
permitted a physician to perform an abortion without the Board’s authorization if, after consulting another
physician, both reached the conclusion that continuance of the pregnancy would involve serious risk to the life
of the pregnant woman or serious injury to her physical or mental health. In this case, the Board was to be
notified of the performance of the abortion within a two-week period.
The 1970 law required the written consent of all married women regardless of their age and of unmarried
women that were at least 18 years of age. The consent of parents/guardians was required for all unmarried
women under age 18. The Board was authorized to consent for unmarried women under age 18 if they had no
parents/guardians or were so insane or feeble-minded as to be incapable of giving a valid consent.
The Abortion Act of 1974 (Penal Code, chapter 119, sections 312-316), as amended by Act No. 12 of
1980, liberalized Singapore’s abortion law further. The Act provides that a person shall not be guilty of an
offence under the law relating to abortion when a pregnancy is terminated by a registered physician acting on
the request of a pregnant woman and with her written consent during the first 24 weeks of pregnancy. Beyond
that time, an abortion may be performed only if immediately necessary to save the life or prevent grave
permanent injury to the physical or mental health of the pregnant woman. Except in cases in which an abortion
is immediately necessary to save the life of the pregnant woman, she must meet certain residency or citizenship
requirements. The new Act abolished the Termination of Pregnancy Authorization Board and the requirement
that it consent to the performance of abortions.
The 1974 Act contains a conscience clause permitting medical personnel to be excused from participating
in any procedure to terminate a pregnancy, unless the procedure is immediately necessary to save the life of the
pregnant woman. Violations of the Act constitute offences punishable by imprisonment and/or payment of a
fine.
Under the 1974 Act, a legal abortion must be performed in a government hospital or in an approved
institution unless the treatment to terminate the pregnancy consists solely of the use of drugs prescribed by a
registered medical practitioner. Regulations issued under the Act define the qualifications required of
physicians performing an abortion at different stages of pregnancy. A medical practitioner terminating a
pregnancy not exceeding 16 weeks’ duration must be registered under the Medical Regulation Act and have at
least 24 months’ experience in an obstetric and gynaecological unit of a recognized hospital, while a medical
Source: Population Policy Data Bank, maintained by the Population Division, Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United
Nations Secretariat. For additional sources, see reference section.
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Singapore
practitioner terminating a pregnancy of no more than 24 weeks’ duration must hold the degree of Master of
Medicine (Obstetrics and Gynaecology) of the University of Singapore or the National University of Singapore
or be a Member or Fellow of a Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. The regulations also require
the approval of institutions for the performance of abortions to be renewed every two years and place a duty of
confidentiality on such institutions.
In 1987, these regulations were amended to introduce mandatory counselling prior to and following the
performance of an abortion. In addition, they require a pregnant woman to wait twenty-four hours after
receiving the counselling until the abortion is performed unless performance of the abortion is immediately
necessary to save the life or prevent grave permanent injury to the physical or mental health of the pregnant
woman. Pre-abortion counselling is reportedly intended to provide women with information that may allow
them to continue their pregnancy and post-abortion counselling to discourage them from seeking repeat
abortions.
In 1996 the estimated abortion rate was 15.9 abortions per 1,000 women aged 15-44 and the modern
contraceptive prevalence rate was estimated most recently in 1982 at 73 per cent.
The Government’s concern about below-replacement fertility has led it to implement a number of
measures designed to reverse this trend. In 1986 the total fertility rate hit an all-time low of 1.4 children per
woman. As a result, the Government set out in 1987 to encourage women to have at least three children: it
offered new incentives in the form of tax deductions and rebates, improved maternity leave benefits, childcare
subsidies and priority in housing and school registration. The total fertility rate for 1995-2000 rebounded to 1.7
children per woman.
Source: Population Policy Data Bank, maintained by the Population Division, Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United
Nations Secretariat. For additional sources, see reference section.
86