Thu Mar 27 19:45:40 UTC 2025: ## Haryana’s Mandatory Pregnancy Registration Sparks Privacy Concerns
**Gurugram, Haryana – March 28, 2025** – A new Haryana Health Department order mandating the registration of all pregnant women during their first trimester has ignited a firestorm of controversy, raising concerns about women’s privacy and potential conflicts with existing abortion laws.
The order, issued two weeks ago by the Director General of Health Services (DGHS), aims to improve the current 50-80% pregnancy registration rate to 100%. It requires ultrasound centers to register pregnant women before conducting examinations, with penalties for non-compliance. Registration on the Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) portal necessitates providing personal details including name, Aadhaar number, husband’s name, address, and caste. The stated goal is to better monitor maternal and child health programs and facilitate access to government benefits.
However, the Indian Medical Association (IMA), Haryana, while praising the initiative’s potential to reduce pregnancy loss and combat female foeticide, has voiced strong objections. In a letter to the DGHS, the IMA highlighted the order’s contradiction with the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, which safeguards a woman’s reproductive rights and prohibits the disclosure of her personal information related to abortion.
Experts and medical professionals share concerns that the order, implemented without sufficient consideration, could drive women towards unsafe, illegal abortions. The reliance on local auxiliary nurse midwives (ANMs) for registration raises fears about compromised patient confidentiality, particularly for unmarried women or those seeking abortions. They argue that mandatory registration could deter women from seeking care, leading to serious health risks. Suggestions for amending the order include exempting women from registration during the first 14 weeks, allowing self-registration, or enabling registration through hospital doctors.
While the DGHS maintains the order aims solely to monitor women’s health and prevent illegal abortions, and denies any conflict with the MTP Act, critics insist the government must prioritize protecting women’s privacy rights, as guaranteed by the MTP Act. The debate underscores the complex interplay between public health initiatives, women’s reproductive rights, and the sensitive issue of maintaining confidentiality in healthcare. Haryana’s declining sex ratio, reaching its lowest point in eight years at 910 in 2024, further fuels the urgency of addressing these concerns.
First Piper 