Abortion in Saint Kitts and Nevis
Abortion law in Saint Kitts and Nevis, a country in the West Indies and a member of the
Legislation
Abortion law in
The Infant Life (Preservation) Act, which was adapted from the British Infant Life (Preservation) Act 1929, permits abortion at any stage of pregnancy so long as the procedure is performed "in good faith for the purpose only of preserving the life of the mother". It states that a person who causes an abortion after 28 weeks of pregnancy is guilty of "child destruction", a felony, and is punishable with life imprisonment with or without hard labour.[2] Saint Kitts and Nevis also follows precedents set in British abortion law, such as Rex v Bourne (1938), in which the court ruled that an abortion performed on a teenage rape victim was lawful as it prevented harm to the victim's physical and mental health.[1][3]
Access to abortion services
A three-year study of abortion practices in the northeast Caribbean, published in 2005, noted that women from Saint Kitts and Nevis who are seeking abortions often travel to nearby Caribbean countries in order to remain anonymous.[4]
See also
References
- ^ ISBN 978-92-1-151365-3.
- ^ Berkman Center for Internet & Society, Harvard University. Retrieved 10 May 2016.
- ^ Guillaume, Agnès; Lerner, Susana (2007). "Specific Characteristics of Abortion Legislation in Some Countries in the Region". Abortion in Latin America and the Caribbean: A Review of the Literature from 1990 to 2005. CEPED. Archived from the original on 2015-09-08. Retrieved 10 May 2016.
- PMID 16291485.