According to the Thai law (in effect since 1956), abortions are illegal in Thailand, except for the girls under the age of 15 or with a serious illness, and when the pregnancy threatens the woman’s health or results from rape or incest. Yet de facto, the abortion law is rarely enforced, and illegal abortions remain common and an important public health issue for women in Thailand. There is evidence of wide public support led by women's groups, medical and legal professionals for the reform of abortion laws to widen the circumstances under which an abortion is legal.