Russian State Duma’s Health Protection Committee opposes ban on abortions in private clinics
The Russian State Duma’s Health Protection Committee has come out against the introduction of a ban on abortions in private clinics. The committee sent a letter to Russian State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin emphasizing the need to preserve Russian citizens’ right to choose a doctor and medical organization for the procedure, reports Vedomosti.
The letter also mentions the need for improving obstetrics and gynecology services and pre-abortion counseling, noting that in 2022, almost 23 percent of women who declined to have an abortion underwent such counseling. According to the Russian Health Ministry, this led to the continuation of more than 47,000 pregnancies.
The committee also recommended “forming positive reproductive attitudes among women, informing them about state support measures, and strengthening control over private clinics’ operations,” writes Vedomosti. The letter stated that initiatives to restrict and ban abortions require “careful consideration and balanced assessment to avoid risks of criminal interventions that pose a threat to the lives and health of women.”
There has been a recent widespread campaign in Russia to restrict abortion access. Private clinics in many regions now completely or partially refuse to perform abortions, and local authorities in many places have introduced fines for “coercing” women to have abortions.
On December 13, a bill was introduced to the Russian State Duma that proposes banning abortions in private clinics at the federal level.
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