Also, Decree No. 12/CP on the promulgation of Social Insurance Regulations authorizes sick leave for abortions. Significantly, the Criminal Code of Vietnam does not contain any provisions that criminalise abortion practices, pointing to its unrestricted legality in the country. sex-selective abortion, a result of the country's son preference, is illegal but remained rampant and largely unpunished. Family planning in Vietnam is helmed by the Ministry of Health (MOH) and National Committee for Population (NCPFP). Family planning and abortion services are provided through a network of MOH-approved healthcare centres, including central and provincial hospitals, provincial family planning centres, district hospitals and health centres, intercommunal polyclinics, and commune health centres. MOH-approved physicians, assistant physicians and trained midwives are legally allowed to perform abortions. As defined in the current National Abortion Standards and Guidelines (NASGs), abortion services are made accessible at three administrative levels of the health system: (1) abortion from 6 to 18 weeks from the last menstrual period (LMP) is available at central and provincial hospitals; (2) abortion from 6 to 12 weeks of LMP is also available at district health stations; and (3) communal health clinics may only offer abortion to women who are not more than six weeks pregnant. Abortion rates Vietnam has one of the highest abortion rates in the world. A study conducted by the Hanoi Central Obstetrics Hospital [vi] found that 40% of all pregnancies in Vietnam are terminated each year. References Vietnam Vietnam Health law in Vietnam Women's rights in Vietnam