Under Iranian law, an abortion is allowed only when the woman’s life is in danger and with the approval of a doctor and her husband. Most abortions are done illegally. According to the health ministry, “600,000 illegal abortions are performed annually,” Kubra Khazali, head of the Women’s Social Council in Iran, said last year, calling for greater government oversight.
Mohammed is 22 years old and has a tall and athletic build. He studies at university in Saqqez, Kurdistan province.
“Three years ago I got accepted into law school in Saqqez and I had to rent an apartment alone away from family. The loneliness hurt me a lot,” he told Rudaw English. “After two months I met a girl from my class. At first we were friends, but after a while I fell in love with her and we became closer.”
His girlfriend Nashmil lived in a rented apartment with two other women, but according to Mohammed, she spent most nights at his place, saying they “could not live without each other.”
“It was early fall last year when Nashmil called me and said she was sick. I took her to the hospital and the doctor did some tests. We were shocked to find out that she was pregnant,” Mohammed said. “It was as if the world collapsed on top of us. She said she would kill herself.”
“We went to several obstetrician offices in Bukan city in West Azerbaijan province, but they all wanted a doctor’s letter to abort the child,” he said. “In the end we found a doctor who agreed to provide us with the pills and shots for the abortion and in return we would pay them 5 million tomans (around $200).”
“It was a Friday, Nashmil had taken the pills for three days in a row and we went to the doctor’s office. She was in a lot of pain. The doctor gave her two shots that caused her to lose a lot of blood, but the child was aborted,” Mohammed said.
“This ended our relationship. Nashmil was depressed. I tried hard, but she saw me as the reason behind the incident, so we broke up.”
Bukan is known as a place where people go for an abortion. I went with a female friend, posing as my wife and pretending we wanted an abortion.
At an obstetrician’s office, the doctor first said that the husband’s approval alone was not enough and we also needed a doctor’s approval. When we said we did not want to go through all that trouble, the doctor said, “Alright, but you have to go and get tested first. The older the child, the more it will cost. It will cost between 3 and 6 million tomans ($120 to $250).”
Two women were sitting in the waiting room, one 26 years old and the other 42. The younger one defended her right to an abortion.
“It’s a woman’s right to have control over their own bodies. What are these oppressive laws requiring a husband’s approval and a doctor’s letter? My husband is a labourer and our financial ability is limited. I don’t want to add another burden on the family and that is why I’ve decided to get an abortion,” she said.
The doctor said the women seeking abortions in their office everyday are young and old, some unmarried and others who cannot afford another child.
Shaida Tayi* had an abortion a year ago.
“I am 24 years old and I am a psychology graduate. I have been married for three years and even though I used contraceptive pills, I found out I was pregnant and I was not ready to become a mother,” she said via Telegram.
“I went to a doctor with my sister without informing my husband and family,” she said. “At first the doctor said I should have a doctor’s letter and my husband’s consent, but we eventually agreed on doing it for 4 million tomans and I would provide the pills myself. I got a set of 6 pills for one million tomans (around $40) from a woman whose address I got from the doctor.”
Shaida said she is filled with regret for getting an abortion.
“I put the pill under my tongue for three days last summer. One afternoon I went to the doctor’s office and after losing a lot of blood and being in a lot of pain I had the abortion,” she said. “It was very bad. After that I was bleeding for a month and had to hide it from my husband. If I could go back in time, I would never make such a mistake because for many months I felt like I had killed someone and was depressed.”
* Names have been changed to protect their identities
