Poland eases abortion access with new guidelines for doctors under a restrictive law
Seeking to Poland’s government is easing access to abortion for women needing to end a pregnancy for health reasons, issuing guidelines to doctors that reaffirm the legality of the procedure when based on medical recommendations
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Seeking to ease access to abortion for women needing to end a pregnancy for health reasons, Poland's government is issuing guidelines to doctors Friday that reaffirm the legality of such procedures, based on medical recommendations.
Under the current law, abortions for health reasons are permitted but the previous conservative government limited some other qualifying circumstances, leading to mass street protests and heightening the reluctance of doctors to expose themselves to a possible prosecution.
The current government of Prime Minister Donald Tusk promised to liberalize the law to allow abortion up to the 12th week of pregnancy, but the proposal narrowly failed to gather the necessary support in parliament. The government is now looking at other ways to increase access to abortion.
“We do not remain inactive on the subject of making it possible for women in early pregnancy who for various reasons believe that they should have access to legal abortion,” Tusk told a news conference.
