● Intentional or voluntary termination of pregnancy before full term is called `color{Violet}"medical termination"` `color{Violet}"of pregnancy (MTP)"` or `color{Violet}"induced abortion"`.

● Nearly `color{Violet}"45 to 50 million"` MTPs are performed in a year all over the world which accounts to `color{Violet}"1/5th"` of the total number of conceived pregnancies in a year.

● Obviously, MTP has a significant role in `color{Violet}"decreasing the population"` though it is not meant for that purpose.

● Whether to accept / `color{Violet}"legalise MTP"` or not is being debated upon in many countries due to `color{Violet}"emotional"`, ethical, `color{Violet}"religious"` and `color{Violet}"social issues"` involved in it.

● Government of India legalised MTP in `color{Violet}"1971"` with some strict conditions to avoid its misuse.

● Such restrictions are all the more important to check `color{Violet}"indiscriminate and illegal"` `color{Violet}"female foeticides"` which are reported to be high in India.

● It is carried out to get rid of `color{Violet}"unwanted pregnancies"` either due to casual `color{Violet}"unprotected intercourse"`.

● Get rid of unwanted pregnancy due to `color{Violet}"failure of the contraceptive"` used during coitus or rapes.

● In certain cases where continuation of the pregnancy could be `color{Violet}"harmful or even fatal"` either to the mother or to the foetus or both.

● MTPs are considered relatively `color{Violet}"safe"` during the `color{Violet}"first trimester"`, i.e., upto `color{Violet}"12 weeks"` of pregnancy.

● `color{Violet}"Second trimester"` abortions are much more `color{Violet}"riskier"`.

● One `color{Violet}"disturbing trend"` observed is that a majority of the MTPs are `color{Violet}"performed illegally"` by unqualified quacks which are not only unsafe but could be fatal too.

● Another dangerous trend is the `color{Violet}"misuse of amniocentesis"` to determine the `color{Violet}"sex"` of the unborn child.

● Frequently, if the foetus is found to be `color{Violet}"female"`, it is followed by `color{Violet}"MTP"`- this is totally illegal.

● Such practices should be `color{Violet}"avoided"` because these are `color{Violet}"dangerous"` both for the young mother and the foetus.

● Effective counselling on the need to `color{Violet}"avoid unprotected coitus"` and the `color{Violet}"risk factors"` involved in illegal abortions as well as providing more `color{Violet}"health care facilities"` could reverse the mentioned unhealthy trend.