Abortion is an important health concern of women but it is increasingly being governed by patriarchal interests which often curb the freedom of women who seek abortion as a right. Consequently, illegal unsafe ways of abortion practices remains as the only alternative for these helpless women; especially the poor, widows and the unmarried. Lack of awareness, ignorance and illiteracy are some of the major factors making rural women unreachable to the safe abortion services. The present case is a hand- pick illustration of the existing status of abortion/MTP service in rural India. How and what are the circumstances compel an average Indian woman to adopt illegal and unhygienic ways of abortion is the prime focus of this case report. A 40 year old married woman becomes pregnant outside marriage; and attends a local quack for abortion. The quack gave her a medicinal twig and some crude herbal abortifacient. She was told to introduce the twig into her vaginal canal and pills to eat. She developed excessive vaginal discharge, lower abdominal cramp, fever and skin rashes. She was diagnosed as a case of septic abortion with co-morbid uterine perforation and Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation (DIC); and subjected to emergency exploratory laparotomy. However, she succumbs to the complications. With this case report, we have tried to put forth a reasonable insight in to the existing inadequacy of abortion laws and apparent failure of Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) services.

Keywords: Illegal abortion; Uterine perforation; Disseminated intravascular coagulation; Septicemia; Herbal abortifacient.