The Ministry of Health has prepared an order that will shorten the list of indications for medical abortion after 12 weeks. In fact, it will prohibit Russian women from refusing to carry children with severe developmental anomalies. Rambler has found out why such a law can be dangerous.
Today, a woman can have an abortion for up to 12 weeks. It is possible to terminate a pregnancy later if pregnancy occurred in the event of rape, or for medical reasons, the list of which is just established by the Ministry of Health.
However, the new document excluded from the list of pathologies a large list of violations in the development of the fetus, leaving only seven points. For example, earlier Edwards and Patau syndromes were considered reasons for termination of pregnancy, since in 95% of cases, children died within a year after childbirth, this also included Down syndrome and others.
Also, some types of oncology, spinal cord anomalies, gigantism, mental retardation, schizophrenia and other mental disorders have been "cut down".
The order caused a huge wave of negativity from women, many of them spoke out on social networks demanding to stop "increasing the demography at the expense of the sick and the poor."
"Oncology? Give birth. A diagnosed delusional disorder? You will be an excellent mother! Schizoaffective disorder? Go ahead. Chromosomal abnormalities in the fetus? Down syndrome? Normal! Since abortion at will cannot be limited, let's attack the most unprotected pregnant women," Sonia Shimanskaya on her blog asking to sign a petition against the new decree.
According to the new document, at a later date, it is proposed to terminate pregnancy only in the most terrible pathologies: in the absence of arms and legs, birth with one kidney and complex heart defects.
Oksana Pushkina, deputy head of the committee on family, women and children, said that the list of pathologies and diseases limits the rights of women to terminate pregnancy, which can lead to disaster.
Let us recall that the prohibition and stigmatization of abortion in the USSR led to the development of "underground medicine", the consequences of which were high mortality during the procedures and the development of infertility.
“Talk to grandmothers and great-grandmothers who remember the post-war years, when abortions were prohibited in the USSR! Then this led to a monstrous increase in the number of artisanal abortions performed by village midwives,”said Pushkina in a conversation with RBC.
The Ministry of Health was quick to reassure the public with the words that abortion can still be done at will up to 12 weeks. However, the public was still not satisfied with this. Many viewed the abortion order as an invasion of private life by the state.
"We give birth when we want, and not by order," - said Pushkina on the air csn-tv.ru
Let us remind you that the informational background around this topic is heated also due to the tightening of the law on abortion in Poland. Some journalists have already noted that Russia followed the path of a neighboring country.