Legitimization of Fetal Screening Based on NT Ultrasound

Abstract

With the goal of safeguarding maternal and fetal health, the Therapeutic Abortion Act was approved in 2005 by 40 members of the Iranian Parliament. This legislation, however, contained flaws that necessitated critique, interpretation, and revision, which were addressed in the updated law. The primary objectives of this act included preventing illegal abortions, reducing dangerous pregnancies for mothers, and avoiding the birth of children with severe genetic abnormalities or deformities, which could impose significant physical, emotional, and economic challenges on families and society. International studies reveal that prohibiting abortion does not reduce its prevalence. Instead, restrictive laws fail to halt abortion practices and have contributed to increased maternal mortality rates resulting from unsafe abortions. This article evaluates the jurisprudential and legal shortcomings of Iran’s Therapeutic Abortion Law, with a focus on secondary jurisprudential principles such as la darar (prohibition of harm) and la haraj (prohibition of undue hardship). The analysis adopts a descriptive-analytical methodology to explore these issues comprehensively.

Keywords

• abortion
• therapeutic abortion
• screening
• la darar
• la haraj