When Polish doctors tell Paulina that her unborn baby has no kidneys and will not survive childbirth, she feels that her only option is an abortion.
And until two months ago, she would still have had the chance to get one.
But a ruling issued in January means that termination of pregnancies due to fetal abnormalities is no longer legal in Poland.
In essence, there is now an almost total ban on abortions there.
“Everyone says that the reward after the pain of birth holds your child in your hands by having a child. But I would have nothing. I would give birth to a dead child and the pain would be a thousand times worse.”
Polish law now considers incest, rape or a threat to a mother’s life and health as valid grounds for terminating a pregnancy.
The 29-year-old Paulina, who wishes to remain anonymous, realizes her only option is to find a doctor who is willing to say that childbirth poses a threat to her health.
Fourteen days after she learned of the baby’s condition, abortion rights activists helped her find a psychiatrist who was willing to say she needed to be terminated on the grounds of mental health.
Her abortion continued.
“These people are heroes. That they are not afraid of the consequences of this sick country in which they live. They are brave and are here to help people and not to serve politicians.”
Support groups told Reuters that Paulina was one of only a dozen women who could have had an abortion on these grounds since the verdict took effect.
Several doctors and lawyers interviewed by Reuters, such as gynecologist Maciej Socha, like that abortions are legal on the basis of mental health.
“If a patient has a brain tumor and the continuation of the pregnancy threatens her life and health, we can terminate the pregnancy. If a patient has psychiatric reasons to terminate the pregnancy, I think it should be enough to end such a pregnancy. terminate pregnancy. “
But psychiatrist Aleksandra Krasowska says some medics are concerned about the legal implications of recommending a termination.
According to Polish law, women undergoing an illegal abortion are not punished, while a doctor can be sentenced to up to three years in prison.
“It is impossible to work, it is impossible to treat patients in a situation where doctors act in good faith and can be held criminally liable in the best interests of the patient.”
Of the four doctors who agreed to support Paulina’s case for an abortion, only Krasowska was willing to be nominated by Reuters.
Many government officials and conservative groups question the legality of abortion based on mental health.
The Polish Ministry of Health said in a statement to Reuters that a specialist in the relevant field should determine whether a pregnancy threatens the mother’s life, depending on the woman’s illness.
But it did not say whether it considered mental health issues as sufficient reasons for an abortion.
Poland has been protesting nationwide in recent months over the ruling, which has turned into an outburst of anger against the country’s nationalist government and the powerful Catholic Church.
Video transcription
– When Polish doctors tell Paulina that her unborn baby has no kidneys and will not survive childbirth, she feels that her only option is an abortion. And until two months ago, she would still have had the chance to get one. But a ruling issued in January means that termination of pregnancies due to abnormalities of the fetus is no longer legal in Poland. In essence, there is now an almost total ban on abortions there.
[SPEAKING POLISH]
INTERPRETER: Everyone says that the reward after the pain of birth holds your child in your hands to have a child. But I would have nothing. I would give birth to a dead child. And that pain would be a thousand times worse.
– Polish law now considers incest, rape or a threat to a mother’s life and health as valid grounds for terminating a pregnancy. The 29-year-old Paulina, who wishes to remain anonymous, realizes her only option is to find a doctor who is willing to say that childbirth poses a threat to her health. Fourteen weeks after learning of the baby’s condition, abortion rights activists are helping her find a psychiatrist who is willing to say she should be terminated on the grounds of mental health. Her abortion continued.
INTERPRETER: These people are heroes. They are not afraid of the consequences of this sick country in which they live. They are brave and are here to help people and not serve politicians. political
– Support groups told Reuters that Paulina was one of only a dozen women who could have had an abortion on these grounds since the ruling took effect. Several doctors and lawyers interviewed by Reuters, such as gynecologist Maciej Socha, like that abortions are legal on the basis of mental health.
[SPEAKING POLISH]
INTERPRETER: If a patient has a brain tumor and the continuation of the pregnancy threatens her life and health, we can terminate the pregnancy. If a patient has psychiatric reasons to terminate the pregnancy, in my opinion it should be enough to terminate such a pregnancy.
– But psychiatrist Aleksandra Krasowska says some medics are concerned about the legal implications of recommending a termination. According to Polish law, women undergoing an illegal abortion are not punished, while a doctor can be sentenced to up to three years in prison.
INTERPRETER: It is impossible to work. It is impossible to treat patients in a situation where doctors act in good faith and can be held criminally liable in the best interests of the patient.
– Of the four doctors who agreed to support Paulina’s case for an abortion, only Krasowska was willing to be nominated by Reuters. Many government officials and conservative groups question the legality of abortion based on mental health. The Polish Ministry of Health said in a statement to Reuters that a specialist in the relevant field should determine whether a pregnancy threatens the mother’s life, depending on the woman’s illness. But it does not say whether it considers mental health issues to be sufficient reasons for an abortion. Poland has been protesting nationwide in recent months over the ruling, which has turned into an outburst of anger against the country’s nationalist government and the powerful Catholic Church.