Abortion in Saint Kitts and Nevis
Abortion in Saint Kitts and Nevis follows British-style law. It is allowed only to save a pregnant woman's life.
Main rules:
- The Offences against the Person Act (Sections 53 and 54) says it is a felony for a woman to unlawfully try to end a pregnancy, with up to 10 years in prison.
- People who help with an illegal abortion or supply tools or drugs for one, knowing what they’ll be used for, can also be punished (up to two years for the supplier).
The Infant Life (Preservation) Act, adapted from a British law, allows abortion at any stage if it is done in good faith to save the mother's life. If an abortion is done after 28 weeks, it is treated as child destruction and can be punished by life imprisonment.
Past legal examples:
- The law follows precedents like Rex v Bourne (1938), which allowed abortion in certain cases to protect the victim’s health, such as after rape.
What people do in practice:
- A 2005 study found that women from Saint Kitts and Nevis often travel to nearby Caribbean countries to obtain abortions and maintain anonymity.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 14:21 (CET).