ABORTIONS

Introduction

Abortion is a termination of a pregnancy. It can be spontaneous or provided as a health
intervention. The rules for the end of pregnancy depends on the state. Every country has their own
legislative. In general, abortion without medical reason can carry out up to 12 weeks when the
women ask for it. Medical and surgical abortion can be carried out up to 24 weeks of pregnancy for
medical reasons. (Clinical practice handbook for safe abortion, c2014)

Some countries do not support abortion, women are forced to unsafe solutions. This leads to
maternal deaths, improper damage of the foetal and morbidities. Lack of access to safe and timely
abortion care is a critical public health and human rights issue. This is the reason why is this a
controversial topic. The goal of this essay is to analyse the attitudes of countries which does not
support women in safe abortions. The main reason for this topic is a graduating problem in Poland
which is nowadays more hyped because of restrictions of pandemic Covid-19.

The importance of abortion

Abortion belongs to one of the six maternal deaths from complications when it is provided unsafe.
Contra it when it follows WHO guidance it is the safest medical procedures. The first country which
come with the reform was the Soviet Union, spurred by feminist Alexandra Kollantai in October 1920.
(Berer, 2017)

There are generally six main reasons for abortion which are arranged from the most dangerous to the
less:

1.      risk to life:

2.      rape or sexual abuse;

3.      serious foetal anomaly;

4.      risk to physical and mental health to woman;

5.      social and economic reason;

6.      on request. (Clinical practice handbook for safe abortion, c2014)

Countries that permit abortion on request just with biological requests (12-weeks and 24 weeks) are
with almost no deaths. The opinion that “all the children od gives” is from traditional
male-dominated culture and it means that foetus as having more value than the woman. (Berer, 2017)

Global trends

The most restrictive country in Europe is Poland. The legalisation was waged in the 1980s in many
European countries and in North America. (Hussein et al., 2018) In global, 1988 was Canada the only
country that effectively decriminalized abortion through the Supreme Court decision. (Berer, 2017)
After a time the legalisation of abortion have been enacted in increasing numbers of countries all
over the world in Africa (e.g. Ethiopia, South Africa), Asia (e.g. India, Vietnam), South America
(e.g. Mexico City, Uruguay). (Hussein et al., 2018)

Expanding legal abortion was entered by improving clinical practice and changing the medical and
surgical technique have resulted in healthcare a safer and more available. Over the last quarter of
the century decreased cases of abortions in developed countries significantly from 46 to 27 per
1000 women because of modern contraceptive use, access to abortion and safer healthcare facilities.
In global it is 35 abortions per 1000 women. In Western Europe in cases of abortion are pronounced
less than in Eastern Europe 9:42 per 1000 women. (Hussein et al., 2018)

Abortion is a topic of politics, religion and moral opinion. Liberals seem the matter equal rights
for women. They are trying to avoid the danger associated with unwanted pregnancies in women. In
converse, religious people can perceive that as a violation of the rules of God or Church and
discretize symbol and importance of family. (Jonason et al., 2021)

In global, there are so many protests to legalisation abortion, where are so many women who are
going there with transparents as “My body is mine”, “My body, my choice”, “Let her decided”. Women
want to decide about their bodies. The child is a very responsible decision. It is necessary to
have got financial savers, proper background, it is a serious situation. (Guillaume a Rossier,
2018)

Figure 1 Legal conditions of abortion in 193 countries (Guillaume a Rossier, 2018)


In figure 1 shows the legal conditions of abortion in 193 countries in 2018. The conditions are
congenerous determined by WHO, to save the woman’s life, to safe woman’s life and protect her
physical or mental health, then with economic and social reasons, in case of rape only and on
request.   It is decided to four categories Africa, Asia, Latin America and group of Europe, North
America and Australia. It is also a category of totally prohibited. (Guillaume a Rossier, 2018)

The rights of an embryo

The main reason for the ban of abortion is the moral, bioethical, legal, scientific and religious
status of the foetus. Does it have the same rights as those who have already been born? This is a
major argument against contra abortion. It includes problematic contraceptive pills and
fertilization. (Guillaume a Rossier, 2018)

Following WHO guidelines, the foetus is approved after 22 weeks of gestation or when the weight is
500 grams. (Clinical practice handbook for safe abortion, c2014) This limit is has been
continuously discussed with medical and biological specialists. The technique in medical care
engenders the possibility of survival chances of severely premature infants. Bioethics argument is
that embryo’s neurological development at begins at the twelfth week of gestation. (Guillaume a
Rossier, 2018)

Abortions in Poland

It has been processed data of Poland for the objectivity of problem and continuing of arguments to
contra Poland legislative.

Poland’s opinion

The problem of abortion started after the fall of communism. During communism was promoted a
scientific approach to medicine and feminism. Poland had had to follow the rules as in all
communist countries there was a serious punishment to the yaw of idealism. After the fall of
communism was the abortion restricted, contraceptive pills and morning-after pills were available
on prescription from pharmacies. The problem is still relevant because the number of abortions was
increased it has been necessary disenfranchisement of women. (Rafał Maciąg, 2021)

The Constitutional Tribunal’s ruling of 22 October 2020 approved a near-total ban on abortion and
putting women’s lives at risk.  It decided that the provision of the 1993 Act on Conditions of
Termination of Pregnancy was unconstitutional. This act provided abortion in cases where the
medical considerations had indicated a high probability of severe or irreversible foetal defect or
incurable illness. (Delaleu, 2021)

European Union

The European Union is challenging other members of the EU to provide Polish women free and safe
abortion in other national healthcare systems. Over the year, the system of Abortion Without
Borders has helped 34 000 women who need an abortion, but it is only a fraction of the total Polish
women who need support. Only 300 women accessed abortion in Poland on the grounds of a threat to
life and health over the last 10 months. (Delaleu, 2021)

Development the situation over time

The situation was the opposite before.  In 1932, Poland was part of countries, which legalised
abortion if there was rape, incest or threat to the life of women. Furthermore, in 1956 the law of
abortion was expanded for medical and social reasons, which were for example "difficult living
conditions". In practice, that means left to the decision for women, who could take advantage of
the public or private setting to conduct the abortion. (Hussein et al., 2018)

The beginning of the controversial topic of abortion was in the 1990s. The abortion debate started
the Roman Catholic Church which was made a side-effect of the democratic transformation of Poland.
In context to test above non-communist government tighten rules for an abortion. It was necessary
to get the approval of three medical specialists and a psychologist. in 1993 was decided to remove
social reasons from the legislation of abortion. (Hussein et al., 2018)

The problem of being re-introduced a legal basis for abortion was repeated in 1993, 1997, 2011. In
2011 attempted to ban abortion entirely. Fortunately, this bill was rejected by parliament. Other
amendments to the law were promoted in 2013, 2015, 2016. In 2016 were large protests which defeated
the draft bill at the time. This year is becoming momentum again mainly because of closed borders
as a result of Covid-19 pandemic restriction. (Hussein et al., 2018)

One of the cases that made the reason for graduated protests in Poland is a dead pregnant woman,
who died in the hospital in Pszczna. Her family disambiguated that she died because of a doctor who
waited to the dead of foetal, so she died of sepsis shock. The foetal was severely damaged and
unable to live, the woman was in 22 weeks pregnancy she was around 30 years old. There is a
conflict between a woman life and foetal. Is it good even with religion sacrificing human life to
children who are not able to survive? (Polish abortion law protests over woman's hospital death,
2021)

Successful changes in other countries with strict restriction

There were chosen two countries which are highly discussed.

Chile

There was a decriminalise abortion in 2017. Also, there were made interventions for implementing
the law were introduced which allowed medical specialist to deny abortion services to women when it
was contra their conscientious or institutional objection. It was also removed the objection of
doctors. These restrictions pro-longed the permitted 12-week gestational period. (Hussein et al.,
2018)

Ireland

Ireland's institute believes that Abortion is a crime and the only reason for it is the real and
substantial risk to the life of the pregnant woman. There was a referendum in 2018 about a change
of circumstances of abortion care when is permitted up to 12 weeks of pregnancy for reasons of risk
to woman’s life or serious harm to woman’s life and foetus’s fatal anomaly. (Hussein et al., 2018)

Conclusion

Abortion is a worldwide controversial topic; it is a termination of pregnancy. First of all,
abortion should support the human rights focus on women. In general, abortion without medical
reason can carry out for up to 12 weeks for request the woman contra that medical and surgical
abortion can be carried out up to 24 weeks of pregnancy for medical reasons.

In the 1980s were widespread to world legalisation of abortion. It supports women who were victims
of rape, incest and when their foetal has diagnosed several anomalies or threats to the life of
women. The legislation depends on the country because it follows their case law. The main countries
which follow a strict ban on abortion in Europe contain Poland, the main reason is religion Roman
Catholic. At present are graduating protests there because of closed borders and the impossibility
of the use the services of other countries.

Limitations of abortion lead to increased morbidity and mortality. Women attempt illegal and unsafe
procedures of abortion. They are attempting health services in other countries it is increasing
financial costs, delaying access and generating social inequities. The limitation by law or by
social factors and health services can put up barriers for women especially prolonged waiting
periods. The risk of these restrictions is mainly because of giving birth to children with
congenital animalities, from rape or incest and the risk of three physical and mental health of
women. Also, it shows how the political decision can affect sexual and reproductive health and
rights women (SRHR) and it is necessary leads of political activities and changes in abortion at
every level (global, regional or local) to support women rights.













References

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Natálie Hrdinová, M20863