Abortion in Slovakia

Abortion in Slovakia was fully legalized on 23 October 1986.[1] Abortions were provided with restrictions in Slovakia and what is now the Czech Republic as early as 19 December 1957,[1] but it was the 1986 law which removed the requirement of medical approval for abortions before the twelfth week of pregnancy.[1] Girls under 16 require parental consent for an abortion, while girls aged 16 and 17 can have the procedure performed without consent but the parents still have to be notified.[1]

To procure an abortion on demand, a woman must have not exceeded the twelfth week of her pregnancy, and she must make her request for an abortion known in writing to her family physician.[1] Counseling and birth control information is given to the woman, and she is referred to a hospital to terminate her pregnancy.[1] After twelve weeks, a group of physicians must approve the abortion, which in practice only occurs if there is a chance of irreparable harm for either the fetus or the mother.[1]

The abortion rate peaked in the late 1980s after the liberalization of the old abortion law, with nearly 40 abortions per 1000 births.[2] In 2004, the figure fell below 15 abortions per 1000 births, its lowest rate since the government started tracking abortion figures in 1958.[2]

As of 2010, the abortion rate was 13.9 abortions per 1000 women aged 15-44 years. [3]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Slovakia - ABORTION POLICY - United Nations
  2. 1 2 Abortion from InfoStat of Slovakia
  3. ↑ "World Abortion Policies 2013". United Nations. 2013. Retrieved 3 March 2014.
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