Abortion in the Lao People's Democratic Republic

Ministerial Approvals in 2021 clearly articulated for the first time the wide range of circumstances under which abortion in Lao People's Democratic Republic (PDR) is legal. These approvals likely reflect norms around abortion existent since the establishment of the Lao PDR in 1975: unregulated abortion is and remains illegal, but abortion that meets certain criteria is and has always been legal in Lao PDR. The legal status of abortion was fuzzy in practice until 2021, likely due to cultural factors. Buddhist conceptions of life and morality contribute to a widespread sense that abortion is fundamentally wrong and ought to be illegal. Laos' political culture strongly values solidarity, meaning prolonged public discussion of potentially divisive topics is rare. As a result, abortion is often misunderstood in international research. For instance, Laos regularly appears on lists of the few countries where abortion is completely banned. Abortion is also not a politically charged topic in Lao PDR. Women's experiences of accessing abortion are not rooted in a rights-based discourse. Instead, abortion is a possible (and legal) path in Laos, but one that entails considerable anguish and concern about its moral and ethical consequences.