THE ANTI-ABORTION LAW IN POLAND
THE FUNCTIONING, SOCIAL EFFECTS,
ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIORS
THE REPORT - SEPTEMBER 2000
CONTENTS
- Index
- Introduction - Wanda Nowicka
- The Effects of The Anti-Abortion Act
- The Current Legal Status of Abortion
- Official Statistics Concerning Terminations of Pregnancy
- The Effects of Anti-Abortion Regulations
- Contraception in Poland
- Sexual Education
- Conclusion
- Appendix
- Attitudes of The Medical Professionalists Towards Abortion The Report on Research of The Effects of The Family Planning, Protection of Human Fetus and Conditions for Termination of Pregnancy Act - Danuta Duch
- Information about Research
- Knowledge about Conditions and Procedures in Cases of Lawful Abortion
- The Practice of Terminations of Pregnancies
- Attitudes towards the Act
- Social Effects of the Anti-Abortion Act
- Moral Assessment of Abortion
- The Environment of Medical Profession
- Women, Doctors, and Medicine
- Who is the Anti-Abortion Act For?
EDITED BY WANDA NOWICKA
CONDUCTING THE RESEARCH, PREPARATION AND PUBLICATION OF THIS REPORT WERE POSSIBLE THANKS TO FINANCIAL SUPPORT FROM:
THE FORD FOUNDATION
PROGRAM ON REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AND RIGHTS OF THE OPEN SOCIETY INSTITUTE
THE GLOBAL NETWORK ON WOMEN'S ADVOCACY AND CIVIL SOCIETY
INFORMATION CENTER ON WOMEN'S ORGANIZATIONS AND INITIATIVES OŚKa
We would like to thank all persons, institutions and organizations, which helped us to collect data; especially to all respondents taking part in surveys conducted by the Federation. Special thanks goes to local branches of the League of Polish Women and sanitary-epidemiological stations for distribution of questionnaires.
We would like to also thank Assi Nieminen and Kaja Krawczyk for taking part in research visits to Kaliningrad and Belarus.
We are grateful to all women, who were so kind and shared their dramatic experiences with us.
- Survey Conducted by The Federation Among Doctors, Nurses and Midwives on The Effects of The Anti-Abortion Act - Wanda Nowicka and Agata Zielińska
- The Situation of Women Facing the Problem of Unwanted Pregnancy
- Abortion, an Assessment of the Practical Possibilities
- Abortion in a Hospital
- Refusals of Abortions: Practice, Basis, and the Required Legal Procedures
- Taking Part in Debates on Changes of Anti-Abortion Regulations
- Awareness of the Anti-Abortion Act and Adequate Procedures in the Cases of Lawful Abortion
- Opinions on the Anti-Abortion Act
- Conclusions
- Attitudes of Rural Women Toward Reproduction Issues Report on The Survey Conducted by RUN - Magdalena Grabowska and Wanda Nowicka
- Women from Rural Areas and Polish Society
- The Opinions of Women about Their Lives and the Process of Transformation
- Reproductive Health: the Approach toward Health Care System, Family Planning, Sexual Education, Contraception and Abortion
- Health Care, Gynecologists
- Family Planning
- Sexual Education
- Contraception
- Abortion
- The Approach towards the Church and It's Role in Shaping Women's Opinions
- Conclusions
- Abortion and Values – The Research Report - Danuta Duch
- Attitudes towards Abortion Vs. the Category of Interest
- Women's Rights as Human Rights
- "... There Must Be Some Norms"
- When You Can and When You Cannot...?
- Who Accepts Abortion?
- Are Children the Real Issue?
- Abortion and Sexual Life: Sexual Pessimism
- Extreme Attitudes towards Abortion
- A Woman's Right to the Ultimate Decision
- Conclusions
12. The Committee notes that the recent imposition of legal restrictions on abortion has excluded economic and social conditions. The Committee expresses its concern that because of this restriction, women in Poland are now resorting to unscrupulous abortionists and risking their health in doing so. The Committee is also concerned that family planning services are not provided in the public healthcare system so that women have no access to affordable contraception.
UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, 1998
10. The Committee reiterates its concern about the numerous forms of discrimination against women both in the Polish society and in the national legal system. (...)
11. The Committee notes with concern: (a) strict laws on abortion which lead to high numbers of clandestine abortions with attendant risks to life and health or women; (b) limited accessibility for women to contraceptives due to high prices and restricted access to suitable prescriptions; (c) the elimination of sexual education from the school curriculum; and (d) the insufficiency of public family planning programmes. (Arts. 3, 6, 9 and 26)
The State party should introduce policies and programmes promoting full and non-discriminatory access to all methods of family planning and reintroduce sexual education in public schools.
UN Human Rights Committee, 1999
