Abortion in Countries with Restrictive Abortion Laws—Possible Directions and Solutions from the Perspective of Poland

Abstract

The tendency towards the radicalization of abortion law is observed in numerous countries, including Poland. The aim of the present paper was to determine the main factors influencing the number of abortions performed worldwide and to indicate the main directions which should be followed to improve the patients’ well-being. The authors conducted their search in the PubMed of the National Library of Medicine and Google Scholar. Databases were extensively searched for all original and review articles/book chapters in English until June 2021. The main problems associated with the contemporary policy of birth regulation include no possibility of undergoing a termination because of the conscience clause invoked by the medical personnel, restrictive abortion law and lack of sexual education. Minimal changes that should be considered are: improved sex education and the availability of contraception, free access to abortion-inducing drugs with adequate information provided by qualified medical personnel in countries with a conscience clause invoked by the personnel, and the development of an international network which would facilitate undergoing a pregnancy termination abroad to provide women with access to legal abortion assisted by professional medical personnel.