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Olga Pietruchova, Slovak Republic

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In the near future the Constitutional Court of Slovak Republic will make decision on the compliance of so called “abortion law” with the Constitution. Despite the fact, that for both experts and common people repressive decision seems like impossible, the reality may be different. Conservative forces follow in their struggle for the ban of artificial abortion so called “the Polish way” and they have very strong and influential backing. Among their biggest advantages is, that broad public has no information about upcoming decision and therefore no open resistance exists. All opinion polls show clear refusal of women against the ban and support for demand “to have right to decide about my own body”

Reproductive rights and especially question of the artificial abortion started to be much politicized issue in Slovakia in recent years. Reproductive are at the same time – no doubts intentionally – oversimplified to the right for artificial abortion.

Artificial abortion was a criminal act in Slovakia until 1950. The Law 86/1950 allowed only one reason for abortion – the health conditions of woman. Abortion statistics show significant upraise especially after 1958, when the Law 68/1957 allowed also abortion due to social reasons. Law 73/1986 is already focused on the prevention of unwanted pregnancy and planed parenthood education. This law allowed artificial abortion up to 12th week of pregnancy without need to specify the reason.

The price for abortion in public hospitals is 3000 Sk (70 USD), it is going to be redoubled in the next future. The Law 73/1986 is valid until today, with just small changes and brought almost full liberalization of conditions. Despite this fact, Slovakia belongs among the European countries with the lowest number of artificial abortions. Number of artificial abortions dropped down by 67% over last 12 years. There are 11,4 abortions per 1000 women in fertile age (e.g. 17.000 per year), which means approximately every fourth pregnancy. The biggest segments are women with two children (55% of all requirements in 2000). We can assume, that the main reasons for abortion are, aside with failure of contraception, economic reasons and the problem of conflict between nurturing the children and keeping the family against the employment/career of mother.

Significant decrease in number of abortions is result of better access to contraception and broader choice of contraceptives. Number of women using hormonal contraception has grown from 2% at the time of collapse of previous regime to almost 18% recently, e.g. nine fold. Hormonal contraception, however, is object of medical prescription and is not covered by medical insurance.

The facts and clearly positive development in number of abortions should logically lead to the conclusion that the trend is positive and Slovakia is on the road towards planned and responsible parenthood. There should not be merit-based and expert arguments for the state intervention into this sensitive area and it should be left fully in the competency of women and partner pairs.

Opposite is true. Despite the fact, that results of the International Conference of United Nations on Population and Development (Cairo 1994), Agreement on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (UN, 1979) and other international conventions and documents should be bounding for Slovakia, conservative political forces led by Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) ignore them with strong support of Catholic Church. Under the cover of “protection of life and moral revival of society” they try to enforce their views on abortions on all Slovak society and do not hide their goal to ban artificial abortions regardless the views of those most affected – women themselves.

Public debate about the ban on abortions was opened by the KDH proposals in early 1990-tieth and especially in 2001 during the debate about the changes in the Constitution of Slovak Republic in the Parliament. KDH

updated: 7/14/2004