{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,13]],"date-time":"2026-10-13T01:04:36Z","timestamp":1791853476649,"version":"4.3.4"},"reference-count":24,"publisher":"American Public Health Association","issue":"3","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Am J Public Health"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2013,3]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>In Sri Lanka, women do not have access to legal abortion except under life-saving circumstances. Clandestine abortion services are, however, available and quite accessible.<\/jats:p><jats:p>Although safe specialist services are available to women who can afford them, others access services under unsafe and exploitative conditions. At the time of this writing, a draft bill that will legalize abortion in instances of rape, incest, and fetal abnormalities awaits approval, amid opposition.<\/jats:p><jats:p>In this article, I explore the current push for legal reform as a solution to unsafe abortion. Although a welcome effort, this amendment alone will be insufficient to address the public health consequences of unsafe abortion in Sri Lanka because most women seek abortions for other reasons. Much broader legal and policy reform will be required.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.2105\/ajph.2012.301154","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2013,1,17]],"date-time":"2013-01-17T20:59:04Z","timestamp":1358456344000},"page":"400-404","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":13,"title":["Abortion in Sri Lanka: The Double Standard"],"prefix":"10.2105","volume":"103","author":[{"given":"Ramya","family":"Kumar","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Ramya Kumar is with the Department of Social and Behavioural Health Sciences, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Ontario."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"844","reference":[{"key":"bib1","author":"Kodagoda A","year":"2012","journal-title":"Sunday Observer"},{"issue":"1","key":"bib3","first-page":"24","volume":"2","author":"Walatara S","year":"1998","journal-title":"Moot Point"},{"key":"bib4","author":"Dharmasena A","year":"2012","journal-title":"Lakbima News"},{"key":"bib10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"10","DOI":"10.4038\/jccpsl.v7i1.8282","volume":"7","author":"Rajapaksa LC","year":"2002","journal-title":"J Coll Community Physicians Sri Lanka"},{"key":"bib12","volume-title":"Economic Perspectives on Unsafe Abortions in Sri Lanka","author":"Thalagala N","year":"2010"},{"key":"bib13","volume-title":"Process, Determinants and Impact of Unsafe Abortions in Sri Lanka","author":"Thalagala N","year":"2010"},{"key":"bib14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1017\/S0021932002003036"},{"key":"bib15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.4038\/cmj.v49i1.3278"},{"key":"bib16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/17441730500441442"},{"key":"bib20","author":"Perera S","year":"2010","journal-title":"The Island"},{"key":"bib21","author":"Mohamed R","year":"2010","journal-title":"Sunday Leader"},{"key":"bib22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S0968-8080(12)40652-8"},{"key":"bib23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1471-0528.2011.03115.x"},{"issue":"5","key":"bib28","first-page":"580","volume":"78","author":"Berer M","year":"2000","journal-title":"Bull World Health Organ"},{"key":"bib29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Senanayake L, Willatgamuwa S.Reducing the Burden of Unsafe Abortion in Sri Lanka.Colombo, Sri Lanka:Family Planning Association of Sri Lanka;2009:21\u201331.","DOI":"10.4038\/sljch.v31i1.806"},{"key":"bib30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.4038\/cmj.v51i1.1381"},{"key":"bib31","volume-title":"National Survey on Emerging Issues Among Adolescents in Sri Lanka","author":"Thalagala N"},{"key":"bib32","unstructured":"Safe Abortion: Technical and Policy Guidance for Health Systems.2nd ed.Geneva, Switzerland:World Health Organization;2012:22\u201324."},{"key":"bib33","first-page":"5","author":"Nathaniel C","year":"2012","journal-title":"Ceylon Today"},{"key":"bib34","author":"Mudalige D","year":"2012","journal-title":"Daily News"},{"key":"bib35","author":"Jayasuriya L","year":"2012","journal-title":"The Island"},{"key":"bib36","author":"Mudugamuwa M","year":"2012","journal-title":"The Island"},{"key":"bib42","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/1742-4755-9-7"},{"key":"bib43","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S0968-8080(04)24024-1"}],"container-title":["American Journal of Public Health"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/ajph.aphapublications.org\/doi\/pdf\/10.2105\/AJPH.2012.301154","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2023,6,28]],"date-time":"2023-06-28T19:27:31Z","timestamp":1687980451000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/ajph.aphapublications.org\/doi\/full\/10.2105\/AJPH.2012.301154"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2013,3]]},"references-count":24,"journal-issue":{"issue":"3","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2013,3]]}},"alternative-id":["10.2105\/AJPH.2012.301154"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.2105\/ajph.2012.301154","relation":{},"ISSN":["0090-0036","1541-0048"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0090-0036","type":"print"},{"value":"1541-0048","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2013,3]]}}}