No, abortion is not legal in Senegal, except when it is the only way to save the life of the pregnant person.
Under Senegal’s Penal Code, abortion is criminalized in nearly all cases, including in situations of rape, incest, or serious fetal anomaly. The only legal exception is when a doctor determines that continuing the pregnancy would endanger the pregnant person’s life, and even then, three doctors must sign off on the procedure (Articles 305 & 311) [1].
This highly restrictive legal framework contradicts Article 14(2)(c) of the Maputo Protocol, which Senegal ratified in 2005. However, the country entered a reservation to that clause, refusing to expand abortion access to cases of sexual assault, incest, or danger to mental and physical health [2].
Due to these restrictions, safe abortion services are almost entirely inaccessible through formal channels. Many women and girls turn to unsafe, unregulated methods, leading to high rates of complications and maternal mortality [3].
