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Main article: Pregnancy and childbirth
Abortion in Russia
Main article: Abortion in Russia
2024: Arizona abolishes abortion rights: Now women opt for sterilization
On April 9, 2024, the Arizona Supreme Court upheld an 1864 law to ban abortions at the request of the mother. Thus, Arizona becomes the 15th American state to completely ban abortion. Against this background, the popularity of sterilization procedures is growing among young people in the United States.
The law in question prohibits the artificial termination of pregnancy. Moreover, exceptions are not provided even for cases of rape and incest. Violation of the law is punishable by imprisonment for a term of two to five years. The only indication for abortion is the threat to a woman's life and health.
 | This ruling is the result of radical plans by elected officials from the Republican Party who seek to deprive women of their freedom, said US President Biden. |  |
Meanwhile, sterilization surgeries for both women and men are on the rise in the U.S., according to the journal JAMA Health Forum. In the first case, the fallopian tubes are tied: this procedure involves cutting or overlapping the fallopian tubes. This stops the egg moving from the ovary to the uterus, so fertilization and implantation cannot occur. In the case of men, a vasectomy is performed - an operation in which a fragment of the vas deferens is ligated or removed.
After the abolition of the constitutional right to abortion in the United States, it is estimated that there are 58 tubal ligation procedures per 100 thousand outpatient visits. This is 5.31 procedures per month more compared to the indicators recorded earlier. Among men, approximately 27 cases of vasectomy per 100 thousand outpatient visits are recorded. At the same time, the monthly number of such procedures, as stated in the study, has practically not changed.[1]
2023
The number of abortions in Poland has soared 5 times since 2020
The number of legal abortions in Poland from 2020 to 2023 increased approximately fivefold. Moreover, this rapid growth is observed against the background of the current ban on termination of pregnancy due to fetal pathology.
On October 22, 2020, the Constitutional Court of Poland made a decision, according to which abortions for embryopathological reasons are prohibited in the country. This was expected to reduce the number of terminations of pregnancy to almost zero. The fact is that earlier the bulk of abortions in the country were performed precisely because of fetal malformations, which were detected through computed tomography. So, in 2020, out of 1074 procedures, 1053 were performed for pathological reasons. However, in fact, it turned out that the ban is ineffective.
According to the Polish Ministry of Health, in 2023, 425 legal abortions were carried out in the country, which is almost three times more than in 2022, when there were 161. It is said that the indicator increases several times every year. Therefore, it is expected that in 2024 the number of legal abortion procedures will exceed 1000.
In Poland, abortion has been banned since 1993, but there are exceptions. These are cases where there is a threat to the life of a pregnant woman, as well as pregnancies resulting from rape. After the introduction of the ban of 2020, doctors began to use a new interpretation of the threat to the life of a pregnant woman for legal abortions: now this definition applies to the mental health of the patient. As a result, the number of pregnancies threatening a woman's health or life is growing rapidly in Poland. In 2023, for this reason, 423 abortions were performed, while in 2020 - only 21. It is noted that this wording is most often applied to pregnancies in which an incurable disease or damage to the fetus is diagnosed.[2]
134 countries punish abortion
Abortion is criminalized in almost all countries of the world, despite the risks to the health of patients. This is stated in a study by BMJ Global Health, the results of which were released on March 20, 2023.
The authors of the report analyzed abortion statistics in 182 countries. This used information from the Global Abortion Policy Database (GAPD). It is emphasized that a comprehensive study of penalties for abortion at the world level has not been carried out.
It says 134 countries have penalties for women who want an underground abortion. 181 states have established penalties for persons carrying out such procedures. And 159 countries punish those who help with illegal abortion. The maximum sentence in most cases is up to 5 years in prison, but in some countries the prison sentence can be much longer - up to life. A number of states also provide for fines and professional sanctions. In 34 countries, the dissemination of information about abortion is limited.
In more than 160 countries, the definition and penalties for abortion offences are contained in the general criminal code. In 12 states, offences and penalties are included in separate laws relating to abortion. In eight countries, such norms are spelled out in other types of legal documents, in particular, in health codes, reproductive health laws and children.
It is noted that in 11 countries abortion is completely criminalized and prohibited under any circumstances. While in some countries fines can be imposed as an alternative to imprisonment, in most cases monetary penalties are in addition to imprisonment. In some countries, other punishments may apply: these include a ban on residence, forced labor, etc.[3]
2022: Statutory regulation of abortion in countries around the world
2021
Poland recorded the first case of the death of a pregnant woman associated with the ban on abortion
In early November 2021, Poland recorded the first case of the death of a pregnant woman associated with the ban on abortion. A Polish hospital said doctors and midwives did everything they could to save the life of a pregnant woman and her fetus in a case that drew attention to a new restriction on Polish abortion law.
A 30-year-old woman died of septic shock at the 22nd week of pregnancy. Doctors did not have an abortion, even though her fetus did not have amniotic fluid, the family lawyer said.
Reproductive rights activists say she is the first person to die as a result of the October 22, 2020 restrictions on Poland's abortion law. Some of the supporters of the new abortion ban said there was no certainty that it led to the woman's death and accused women's rights activists of exploiting the situation.
The woman, identified only as Isabela, died in September 2021, but her case was only made public on October 29 on Friday, sparking protests in Warsaw, Krakow and elsewhere on Monday November 1. People lit candles in her honor during the evening vigil.
Before the new restriction, women in Poland could only have abortions in three cases: if the pregnancy resulted from a crime such as rape; if a woman's life is at risk; or in the case of severe foetal deformities. But the Constitutional Tribunal, influenced by Poland's conservative ruling party, ruled last year that abortions due to birth defects were not constitutional.
The hospital where the woman died released a statement on November 2, 2021, saying they had "united in pain" with her loved ones and others mourning her and insisted her staff had done everything to save her and the fetus. The family lawyer said the woman was survived by her husband and daughter.
| | The only factor determining the medical procedure was concern for the health and life of the patient and fetus. Doctors and midwives did everything in their power, they fought a difficult battle for the patient and her child, - said the district hospital in Pshchina in southern Poland. | |
The hospital added that prosecutors were investigating the case but said that "all medical decisions were made taking into account the legal provisions and standards of conduct in force in Poland."
| | There are medical errors... and unfortunately, women sometimes still die in childbirth, "Susky said on state television. "We do not wish this on anyone, but it certainly has nothing to do with any decision of the tribunal."[4] | |
Texas abortion ban
On September 1, 2021, a law came into force in Texas, according to which a ban on abortions for a period of six weeks or more was introduced. Also, the law authorizes citizens to file lawsuits against those who perform abortions, or those who contribute to the procedure, this may even be a person who brings a pregnant woman to the clinic in his car. People convicted of violating the law will have to pay $10,000 to those who successfully file such a lawsuit in the form of remuneration.
| | Patients will have to travel out of state in the midst of a pandemic to receive constitutionally guaranteed health care. And many will not have the means to do so. It's cruel, unconscionable and illegal, "said Nancy Northup, president and executive director of the Center for Reproductive Rights. | |
The scheme to force citizens to enforce the law also complicates its challenge to the court and the Supreme Court decision made so far against clinics is likely to promote copycat bills in other American states.
Groups challenging the Texas law, including Planned Parenthood and the American Civil Liberties Union, intend to continue fighting the law, though they warn that millions of Texas women will lose access to abortion procedure in the case.
| | Politicians should set aside partisan divisions for the common good, but Abbott has led Texas politicians down the extreme path for his personal gain, said Carisa Lopez, policy director of the Texas Freedom Network. | |
Addressing pregnant women in Texas and beyond, Carisa Lopez tweeted that they have a network of abortion foundations and support networks that will do everything they can to help get the information and help they need.
The court's decision not to take action on an emergency motion by Texas abortion clinics comes as judges prepare for a broader overhaul of abortion rights established nearly 50 years ago. In May 2021, the judges agreed to consider a ban on the procedure after 15 weeks of pregnancy, arguments are expected to be presented by the end of 2021, and a decision will be made in 2022.[5]
Ban on abortions due to fetal pathology in Poland
At the end of January 2021, a ban on abortions due to fetal pathology that does not threaten the life and health of the mother came into force in Poland. The near-total ban on abortion has set the stage for a clash between the protest movement and the country's ruling coalition.
Although the ruling was issued by Poland's Constitutional Court in October 2020 and was due to take effect immediately, the ban was delayed by three months due to the scale of the protests that followed, with more than 400,000 people taking to the streets across the country. However, the Polish government still published a court decision in the Official Gazette, arguing that "a person since conception has the right to life," guaranteed by the constitution.
Ultra-conservative elements of Poland's ruling coalition have long sought to tighten abortion laws, though polls show Polish society as a whole supports the move minimally. Now officially abortion in Poland can be done only in the event of a threat to the life and health of the mother, with a high probability of severe and irreversible damage to the fetus or an incurable disease dangerous to the life and health of the mother, as well as if the pregnancy occurred as a result of rape. Abortions due to fetal pathology - Down syndrome, disability or the likelihood of a serious incurable disease - are outlawed. At the same time, Polish lawmakers decided that during discussions of abortion, the words "child" and "mother" should be used, and not "fetus" and "pregnant woman."
After the publication of the decision of the Constitutional Court in the Bulletin of Laws, the Strike Movement of Polish Women organized rallies in Warsaw and other cities of the country. More than a hundred protesters gathered in the capital near the building of the Constitutional Court and blocked a nearby street, people began to burn fires. The police through loudspeakers called on all those gathered to disperse, since due to the pandemic, mass gatherings in the republic are prohibited.[6]
2020
Popular abortion drugs
In 2020, the first lines are occupied by Postinor and Escapel. Both Gedeon Richter preparations are completely identical in terms of dose and route of administration. In Postinor, 2 pills [are drunk at intervals], in Escapel - one.
Gedeon managed to patent not Escapel himself, but the method of taking it (in one tablet, not two). Teva released a generic called Modelle 911. This was the subject of a legal clash. Two years of ordeal have not yet ended in anyone's favor. Both drugs are still sold.
Ginepriston stands apart in the market. You can understand: the drug is still more hospital, perceived as "heavy."
Pharmasintez has filed its own generic mifepristone for registration. The literary title - Unplanning - apparently should dilute the negative around an unpopular remedy.
Thousands of embryos found in garage of owner of abortion clinics
In mid-February 2020, Indiana carried out a mass burial of more than 2,400 remains of embryos found in 2019 in the garage of an Illinois doctor who performed abortions.
Dr. Ulrich Klopfer operated three abortion clinics in South Bend, Ind., until his license was suspended in 2015. He died on September 3, 2019. Sorting out his belongings after his death, Klopfer's family discovered the remains of hundreds of embryos. Investigators subsequently found 2,246 embryos in Klopfer's garage and several more in the trunk of his car. All remains were transferred to the district attorney's office, and the Indiana attorney general visited a cemetery in South Bend where a mass burial of the recovered remains took place.
| | Today we are finally memorialising the 2,411 unborn children whose remains were pointlessly hidden by Dr Ulrich Klopfer after performing abortions. These kids deserve better than a cold, dark garage or car boot. | |
The remains were found in small, sealed plastic bags that contained a chemical used to preserve biological material. The bags lay in boxes that were mixed with other, regular boxes. Investigators concluded the embryos had been stored in a garage for nearly two decades. Most likely, Dr. Klopfer demolished them here after abortions, which he performed from 2000 to 2003.
Investigators also brought up old medical records at Klopfer abortion clinics in Indiana. Klopfer did not follow Indiana law regarding the disposal of fetal remains and filing proper paperwork, they said. However, there is no evidence that Dr. Klopfer performed any medical procedures on the remains.[7]
2019: Abortion is banned in the US. Doctors who violate the ban will be imprisoned for 100 years
On May 14, 2019, the Alabama State Senate passed a bill banning nearly all abortions. Exceptions apply only to cases where women's health is at risk.
The strictest abortion USA bill in will take effect six months after it is signed by the governor. Before then, however, he will surely have to face a slew of lawsuits from the American Civil Liberties Union and other groups that protect human rights.
Legislation to restrict abortion in 2019 was introduced in 16 states, in four of which governors signed bills banning abortion if a germ heartbeat is detected. Alabama's bill went even further - banning absolutely any abortion, including in women who are victims of rape. Doctors who violate the ban will be considered to have committed a criminal offense punishable by imprisonment for a term of 10 to 99 years. Women who have abortions will not be prosecuted.
Supporters of the ban in Alabama have said the right to life of an unborn child should be above the mother's freedoms. Their opponents call the "heartbeat" legislation a virtual ban because the embryo's cardiac activity can be detected as early as the first six weeks of pregnancy - before the woman herself knows about it.
The group Doctors for Reproductive Health said a near total ban on abortion would be disastrous for health care. Probably, doctors will not want to help patients, even if the continuation of pregnancy will threaten the health of the mother, so as not to appear in court. The National Organization of Women condemned the ban as contrary to the US Constitution, calling it an attempt to gain political support in the upcoming elections at the expense of women's health and independence.[8]
Notes
- ↑ Changes in Permanent Contraception Procedures Among Young Adults Following the Dobbs Decision
- ↑ Increasing number of legal abortions in Poland
- ↑ Almost all countries around the globe criminalise abortion in some circumstances
- ↑ Pregnant woman’s death puts spotlight on Polish abortion law
- ↑ Supreme Court allows Texas’ 6-week abortion ban to take effect
- ↑ Poland abortion ban sets stage for Women's Strike showdown
- ↑ A mass burial is held for more than 2,400 fetal remains found in a garage in Illinois
- ↑ Alabama Senate bans nearly all abortions, including rape cases
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