Abortion in Ukraine is legal on request during the first twelve weeks of pregnancy. Between 12 and 28 weeks, abortion is available on a variety of grounds, including medical, social and personal grounds, and for any reason with the approval of a commission of physicians. Oral contraception is available over-the-counter without a prescription and the morning after pill is also readily available.
Prior to 1991, abortion in Ukraine was governed by the abortion laws of the Soviet Union. The laws have not changed since then. Abortion rates have fallen from 109 abortions per 1000 women aged 15–44 in 1986 to 80.9 in 1991, 67.2 in 1996 and 27.5 in 2004. As of 2010, the abortion rate was 21.2 abortions per 1000 women aged 15–44. In 2014 the abortion rate in Ukraine decreased to 14.89 per 1000 women aged 15–44. Abortion rates in Ukraine and Belarus have converged in recent years, creating a large gap with post-Soviet Russia. In 2018, the abortion rate increased to 247 abortions per 1000 live births.
Near the end of a long interview in 2019 during his political campaign, Volodymyr Zelenskyy (now President of Ukraine) was asked about abortion rights. The interviewer mentioned to Zelenskyy that laws are often adopted in Eastern and Central Europe that cause public outcry, saying that in Poland, for example, there were huge protests when the Polish government wanted to ban abortion. Zelenskyy stated that abortion should not be banned, that to get an abortion is a personal choice and that there needs to be less impingement on human freedom.
Impact of the 2022 Russian Invasion
Reports revealed that access to abortion following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 became increasingly difficult. The Inter-Agency Working Group on Reproductive Health Crises identified access to safe abortion and post-abortion care as priority services for humanitarian aid, yet according to some experts, abortion services did not get the attention they deserved. The International Planned Parenthood Federation sent post-rape kits to Ukraine which included abortion pills after hearing reports of increased occurrences of rape.
Difficulties also arose due to Ukraine's geographical location. Many Ukrainians fled to neighbouring Poland but Polish abortion laws differ greatly from Ukraine's. Abortion is only allowed if a pregnancy is as a result of a criminal act or if a woman's life and health is in danger. Ukrainian women crossing the border into Poland were met by anti-abortion groups such as the Life and Family Group. Due to restrictive abortion laws in Poland and other neighbouring countries such as Hungary and Slovakia, many refugees have been forced to return to Ukraine to seek sexual and reproductive healthcare, or delay access to care, at significant risk to their health. Other have used illegal means to obtain abortion or healthcare in these countries, which is often only possible with the help of NGOs or other aide organisations.
Notes
- Belarus, Russia and Ukraine were part of the Soviet Union from 1922 until its declaration of independence from the Soviet Union on 24 August 1991.
References
- ^ "Ukraine". Abortion Policies: A Global Review (DOC). Vol. Country Profiles. United Nations Population Division. 2002. pp. 150–152. OCLC 48213121. Retrieved 27 March 2014.
- ^ Strzyżyńska, Weronika (2022-05-10). "'Declare it to a doctor, and it's over': Ukrainian women face harsh reality of Poland's abortion laws". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-08-15.
- "World Abortion Policies 2007". United Nations. 2007. Retrieved 25 March 2014.
- "World Abortion Policies 2013". United Nations. 2013. Retrieved 3 March 2014.
- Johnston Archive
- Denisov, B. P.; Sakevich, V. I.; Jasilioniene, A. (2012). "Divergent Trends in Abortion and Birth Control Practices in Belarus, Russia and Ukraine". PLOS ONE. 7 (11): e49986. Bibcode:2012PLoSO...749986D. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0049986. PMC 3542819. PMID 23349656.
- A History of Ukraine: The Land and Its Peoples by Paul Robert Magocsi, University of Toronto Press, 2010, ISBN 1442610212 (page 563/564 & 722/723)
- "Abortion rate in Europe 2018". Statista. Retrieved 2023-08-15.
- "Владимир Зеленский: Нам выгодно распустить Раду, но будем думать и поступать по закону". РБК-Украина (in Russian). Retrieved 2019-04-23.
- Levy, Max G. "The War in Ukraine Is a Reproductive Health Crisis for Millions". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Retrieved 2023-08-15.
- Rahman, Khaleda (2022-04-28). "Abortion Pills Sent to Ukraine as More Reports of Russian Rapes Emerge". Newsweek. Retrieved 2023-08-15.
- Sobol, Virginia (2023-05-16). "New Study Finds Many Refugees from Ukraine are Cut Off from Reproductive Health Care". Center for Reproductive Rights. Retrieved 2023-10-25.
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