Abortion always evokes strong emotions, which is reflected in legal regulations. Different countries have different legal regulations regarding the admissibility of termination of pregnancy or the total prohibition of abortion.
A woman decides to haveabortionfor a number of reasons. These can bemedical indications(threat to the he alth or life of a woman, finding severe birth defects in the fetus during prenatal examinations),conception as a result of rape or incest,personal reasons(a woman feels too young or too old to have a child, is in a difficult financial situation, is lonely, has no partner), or at least family problems, bad relationships with a partner.
Abortion as defined by global organizations
Different countries have different laws regarding the admissibility of abortion. And they generally have little to do with laws passed by world organizations. For example, according to the 1989 UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, "a child means every human being under the age of 18" (Article 1) and "every child has the inalienable right to life" (Article 6).
In 2004, the Strasbourg Court of Human Rights unanimously ruled that "an unborn child is not considered to be a" person "directly protected by Article 2 of the Convention (right to life), and even if the unborn has the" right to life ", it is implicitly limited by the rights and interests of the mother. "
Polish legislation allows for termination of pregnancy in the following cases: when the pregnancy poses a threat to the he alth or life of the woman, when prenatal tests or other medical indications indicate severe and irreversible impairment of the fetus, when the pregnancy resulted from a crime (up to 12 weeks).
Abortion possible or prohibited
In countries where abortion is legal on request, it is only allowed in the early stages of pregnancy. After the first trimester, with special exceptions, it is generally treated as a crime.
Countries with more stringent conditions for termination of pregnancy or its total prohibition in Europe include: M alta, San Marino, Monaco, Vatican, Liechtenstein, Ireland and Poland .
In countries where abortion is illegal or heavily restricted, it happens that women go abroad to have abortion(e.g. from Poland to Germany, Sweden, Great Britain).
Legal solutions for abortion
Legal solutions concerning termination of pregnancy in different European countries are very different. For example,
» Ireland - is the only EU country where abortion remains completely forbidden and is only possible in the event of a direct threat to a woman's life. Article 40 of the constitution guarantees the right to life for the unborn. Abortion is therefore illegal here.
» Spain - termination of pregnancy is permitted in the following cases: when pregnancy is a result of rape (in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy), when there is a suspicion that the fetus will be damaged, when surgery is necessary to avoid a direct threat to the he alth or life of the pregnant woman. Although abortion is illegal, except in the specific cases mentioned above, in practice it is available at the request of the woman.
» Portugal - abortion is allowed in the so-called special cases, similar to those in Spain. However, in practice, most abortions are performed on request, under the pretext of "a threat to the mental he alth of a woman."
» Belgium - although the penal code provides for "a criminal record for all persons who in any way caused an artificial miscarriage in a woman", the application of this article is excluded where "the woman is in a desperate situation" and asks the doctor to terminate the pregnancy before 12 week from conception. After 12 weeks, an abortion is possible when the development of pregnancy poses a serious threat to the he alth of the woman or there is certainty that the child may be affected by a particularly serious disease.
» Germany - an abortion is legally permissible if: the woman shows a certificate to the doctor that she had consulted at least 3 days before the procedure, that the abortion will be performed by a doctor, that no more than 12 weeks have passed since the child was conceived. when there are grounds to believe that the child may be born handicapped. In this situation, an abortion is allowed up to 22 weeks after conception.
» France - a woman who is in a desperate situation by pregnancy may ask a doctor for her break. The procedure can be performed before the end of 12 weeks, only by a doctor. Termination of pregnancy may take place in a situation where a woman, after consulting a doctor, repeats her request for surgery and expresses this request in writing. The termination of pregnancy may also be performed at a later date (until the end of pregnancy), if after the tests and afterthe discussion between the two doctors concludes that the development of pregnancy poses a serious threat to a woman's he alth or when there is a high probability that the child would be severely ill.
The cost of an abortion is covered by he althcare. It is also legal to administer the abortion pill "the day after" to schoolgirls from the age of 12 without informing their parents.
» Austria - abortion is legal if it is done with the consent of the woman during the first 3 months of pregnancy. For medical reasons, termination of pregnancy beyond 3 months until delivery and when the pregnant woman was under 14 years of age at the time of conception is also allowed. In practice, abortion is available at the request of the woman.
» United Kingdom - pregnancy may be legally terminated if two doctors (there may be only one) are of the opinion that continuation of the pregnancy is greater risk to the woman than termination of pregnancy or if there is a risk that the child will be born handicapped. There is no specified duration of pregnancy at which it may be legally terminated. Currently, even 11-year-old girls in the UK have Great Britain ensured access to contraceptive and abortion pills and abortions, without the consent and knowledge of parents.
» Italy - termination of pregnancy is allowed during the first 90 days of its duration. It is made at the request of a woman, confirmed by a doctor from a family counseling facility, a social and medical facility or a trustee doctor in an appropriate facility. After the first 90 days, an abortion may take place if: pregnancy or childbirth would pose a serious threat to the woman's life, the child could be born handicapped.
» Denmark - every woman has the right to terminate the pregnancy upon request until the end of the 12th week of pregnancy and, under certain conditions, to terminate it after 12 weeks (when pregnancy, childbirth or childcare would entail a risk of deterioration of the woman's he alth or her life condition, if the pregnancy is the result of incest, rape or any other type of sexual assault where pregnancy, childbirth or childcare may place a serious psychosocial burden on a woman, so in practice abortion is allowed without any restrictions in Denmark.
» Sweden - a woman has the right to freely decide on termination of pregnancy up to 12 weeks of its duration, however, even after this date she can do so (up to 18 weeks). Termination of pregnancy beyond 18 weeks requires the consent of the Department of Social Affairs.
» Netherlands - aborc I am every woman's private affair here. Officially, "on demand" abortion is allowed up to the third month of the fetal life of a child, in practice - even up to 24 weeks, and often even later.