Polish women scared of pregnancy because of tight abortion legislation

24-10-2022

Central Europe

The majority of the Polish population believes that the strict abortion legislation in Poland leads to a decline in the birth rate. They suspect that women are afraid of being obliged to carry out their pregnancy to full term in case the baby has a birth defect.

Polish statistics indeed show that the birth rate in the country has been plummeting, even though that has been a trend for a more extended period. About 52 per cent of the Polish population believes that the abortion ban has contributed to that. A year ago, this percentage was only 45 per cent, Notes from Poland writes.

Last year, there was much upheaval about two women who died from complications with their pregnancy. Many pointed to the abortion legislation in Poland as the cause of their deaths. Doctors were reluctant to treat the women because they feared the consequences of the new law.

The abortion legislation, which changed in 2021, states that terminating a pregnancy is only allowed if the mother's life is in danger or in case of rape or incest.

Even though most Poles blame the decline in the birth rate on the abortion law, the shrinking of the number of births in the country has been ongoing since before the abortion legislation was changed.

“Ukraine and Poland receive too many abortion pills”

Women’s rights groups have seen an increase in the demand for abortion pills since the war broke out in Ukraine. The pills should make safe abortion possible for Ukrainian women who became pregnant while fleeing the war. However, these pills prove ineffective.