Abortion in Iceland

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Abortion in Iceland is legal on request until the end of the 22nd week of pregnancy. [1] The abortion rate in Iceland is relatively high, in comparison to other Nordic countries.

Contents

Legislation

Abortion in Iceland was legalized on a number of grounds on 22 May 1975. [2] Although the 1975 law did not allow abortions to be performed on request, they were allowed in various medical and social circumstances. [3] Medically, an abortion was lawful if a pregnancy threatened a woman's physical or mental health, if the fetus had a serious congenital defect, or if the woman was deemed incapable of caring for a child because of her age or mental disability. Social grounds for allowing abortion included: if the pregnancy was the result of rape or incest; if the woman had had several children already with only brief periods between pregnancies; if the woman lived in a particularly difficult family situation; or if the woman's or her partner's ill health prevented them from being able to care for a child. [3]

All Icelandic women who undergo abortions are required to receive counselling both prior to and following the procedure, including education about contraceptive use. [4]

The performance of an unlawful abortion carries a sentence of between five and seven years' imprisonment. [3]

In April 2017, the Government proposed making changes to abortion legislation in Iceland so that abortion would no longer be described as "foetus elimination" (fóstureyðing), but would instead be described as "pregnancy interruption" (þungunarrof). [5]

In May 2019, the Icelandic parliament legalized abortion on demand until week 22 of the pregnancy. [6] Previously, abortion was only legal if performed within the first 16 weeks of pregnancy, unless a pregnancy threatened the woman's health or the fetus had a deformity. [3]

Statistics

A study published in 2003 found that over the period of 1976–1999, the abortion rate in Iceland rose by 133%, increasing from 9.4 abortions per 1000 women to 21.9 per 1000 women, with the highest regional rates in the Reykjavík area. The authors noted that Iceland's abortion rate was higher than in any of the other Nordic countries, a trend which they attributed to the limited sex education, early initiation of sexual activity, and less effective use of contraception in Iceland. [7]

As of 2010, the abortion rate in Iceland was 14.5 abortions per 1000 women aged 15–44 years. [8]

Landspítali offers pre-natal screening for chromosomal anomalies. There are reports that the high rate of pregnancy termination in response to positive results has led to the near-eradication of people with Down syndrome in Iceland. [9] But this is also explained as misinterpretation of statistics on a very small number of births, and explained that a more accurate difference is only about 10% less Down, compared to other European countries. [10]

Related Research Articles

Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus. An abortion that occurs without intervention is known as a miscarriage or "spontaneous abortion"; these occur in approximately 30% to 40% of all pregnancies. When deliberate steps are taken to end a pregnancy, it is called an induced abortion, or less frequently "induced miscarriage". The unmodified word abortion generally refers to an induced abortion. The most common reasons women give for having an abortion are for birth-timing and limiting family size. Other reasons reported include maternal health, an inability to afford a child, domestic violence, lack of support, feeling they are too young, wishing to complete education or advance a career, and not being able or willing to raise a child conceived as a result of rape or incest.

Late termination of pregnancy, also referred to as third trimester abortion, describes the termination of pregnancy by induced abortion during a late stage of gestation. In this context, late is not precisely defined, and different medical publications use varying gestational age thresholds. As of 2015 in the United States, more than 90% of abortions occur before the 13th week, 1.3% of abortions in the United States took place after the 21st week, and less than 1% occur after 24 weeks.

Abortion is legal and free of charge upon request in Finland in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy since 1 September 2023. Between 1970 and 2023, abortion was widely accessible in practice for a variety of reasons, but nevertheless, the law required the pregnant woman to state her motivations and get approval from one or two doctors.

Abortion in Sweden was first legislated by the Abortion Act of 1938. This stated that an abortion could be legally performed in Sweden upon medical, humanitarian, or eugenical grounds. That is, if the pregnancy constituted a serious threat to the woman's life, if she had been impregnated by rape, or if there was a considerable chance that any serious condition might be inherited by her child, she could request an abortion. The law was later augmented in 1946 to include socio-medical grounds and again in 1963 to include the risk of serious fetal damage. A committee investigated whether these conditions were met in each individual case and, as a result of this prolonged process, abortion was often not granted until the middle of the second trimester. As such, a new law was created in 1974, stating that the choice of an abortion is entirely up to the woman until the end of the 18th week.

Abortion in Germany is legal on demand during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy upon condition of mandatory counseling. The same goes later in pregnancy in cases that the pregnancy poses an important danger to the physical or mental health of the pregnant woman. In the case that the abortion is because of a rape, counseling is not mandatory. The woman needs to receive counseling, called Schwangerschaftskonfliktberatung, at least three days prior to the abortion and must take place at a state-approved centre, which afterwards gives the applicant a Beratungsschein.

Abortion in the Czech Republic is legally allowed up to 12 weeks of pregnancy, with medical indications up to 24 weeks of pregnancy, in case of grave problems with the fetus at any time. Those performed for medical indications are covered by public health insurance, but otherwise, abortion is relatively affordable in the Czech Republic. In Czech, induced abortion is referred to as interrupce or umělé přerušení těhotenství, often colloquially potrat ("miscarriage").

Abortion in Israel is permitted when determined by a termination committee, with the vast majority of cases being approved, as of 2019. The rate of abortion in Israel has steadily declined since 1988, and compared to the rest of the world, abortion rates in Israel are moderate. According to government data, in Israel, abortion rates in 2016 dropped steadily to 9 per 1,000 women of childbearing age, lower than England (16.2) and the United States (13.2). 99% of abortions are carried out in the first trimester. Despite allegations of permitting abortion under limited circumstances, Haaretz noted in 2019 that this is not the case, and abortion is almost always permitted in Israel.

The genetics and abortion issue is an extension of the abortion debate and the disability rights movement. Since the advent of forms of prenatal diagnosis, such as amniocentesis and ultrasound, it has become possible to detect the presence of congenital disorders in the fetus before birth. Specifically, disability-selective abortion is the abortion of fetuses that are found to have non-fatal mental or physical defects detected through prenatal testing. Many prenatal tests are now considered routine, such as testing for Down syndrome. Women who are discovered to be carrying fetuses with disabilities are often faced with the decision of whether to abort or to prepare to parent a child with disabilities.

Abortion in Norway is available on demand within the first twelve weeks of gestation, measured as 11 weeks and 6 days from the first day of the last menstrual period. After this 12-week time limit, a request must be submitted to a special medical assessment board that will determine whether an abortion will be granted.

Abortion in Italy became legal in May 1978, when Italian women were allowed to terminate a pregnancy on request during the first 90 days. A proposal to repeal the law was considered in a 1981 referendum, but was rejected by nearly 68% of voters; another referendum aimed at eliminating the restrictions was rejected by 88.4%.

Abortion in Turkey has been legal on request since May 27, 1983. Abortion is legal up to 10 weeks of pregnancy, and in special circumstances the time threshold can be extended if there is danger to the woman's life or the life of the fetus. During the ten weeks, an abortion is allowed for the following reasons: the pregnancy threatens the woman's mental and/or physical health, the fetus would be physically or mentally impaired, if the conception occurred through rape or incest, and economic or social reasons. The woman's consent is required. If the woman is under the age of 18, then parental consent is required. If the woman is married, the consent of the husband is also required. Single women over the age of 18 can choose to have an abortion on their own.

Abortion in Denmark was fully legalized on 1 October 1973, allowing the procedure to be done electively if a woman's pregnancy has not exceeded its 12th week. Under Danish law, the patient must be over the age of 18 to decide on an abortion alone; parental consent is required for minors, except in special circumstances. An abortion can be performed after 12 weeks if the woman's life or health are in danger. A woman may also be granted an authorization to abort after 12 weeks if certain circumstances are proved to be present.

Abortion in Greece has been fully legalized since 1986, when Law 1609/1986 was passed effective from 3 July 1986. Partial legalization of abortion in Greece was passed in Law 821 in 1978 that provided for the legal termination of a pregnancy, with no time limitation, in the event of a threat to the health or life of the woman. This law also allowed for termination up to the 12th week of pregnancy due to psychiatric indications and to the 20th week due to fetal pathology. Following the passage of the 1986 law, abortions can be performed on-demand in hospitals for women whose pregnancies have not exceeded 12 weeks. In the case of rape or incest, an abortion can occur as late as 19 weeks, and as late as 24 weeks in the case of fetal abnormalities. In case of inevitable risk to the life of the pregnant woman or a risk of serious and continuous damage to her physical or mental health, termination of pregnancy is legal any time before birth. Girls under the age of 18 must get written permission from a parent or guardian before being allowed an abortion.

Abortion in Austria has not been punishable by law during the first three months of pregnancy since 1 January 1975. Abortions can be performed later if there is a physical or mental health threat to the pregnant person, if there is an incurable problem with the development of the fetus, or if the patient is under the age of 14. Generally, performing or receiving an abortion is still considered a criminal offence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abortion-rights movements</span> Social movement advocating for legal access to abortion

Abortion-rights movements, also self-styled as pro-choice movements, advocate for the right to have legal access to induced abortion services including elective abortion. They seek to represent and support women who wish to terminate their pregnancy without fear of legal or social backlash. These movements are in direct opposition to anti-abortion movements.

Abortion in Bulgaria has been legal on request within the first 12 weeks of pregnancy since 1 February 1990. Between 12 and 20 weeks, abortion is only permitted for women who suffer from certain diseases that may endanger her life or that of the child, and after 20 weeks abortion is only permitted if the woman's life is in danger or the fetus is severely genetically harmed.

Abortion in Kazakhstan is legal as an elective procedure up to 12 weeks, and special circumstances afterwards. The relevant legislation is based on the laws inherited from the country's Soviet past, when abortion was legally permitted as a contraceptive.

A termination for medical reasons (TFMR) is an induced abortion motivated by medical indications involving the fetus or mother. In some countries, health risks are the only basis for obtaining a legal abortion. Prenatal screening can allow early diagnosis, and abortion if desired or necessary. Some medical organizations advocate the offer of diagnostic testing by chorionic villi sampling, and amniocentesis to all pregnant women, as a matter of course.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Centre Party (Iceland)</span> Political party in Iceland

The Centre Party is a Nordic agrarian, populist and conservative political party in Iceland, established in September 2017. It split from the Progressive Party due to leadership disputes, when two factions decided to band up as a new party before the 2017 Icelandic parliamentary election. The Centre Party belongs to the Nordic agrarian party family; like many parties in Iceland, is Eurosceptic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sóley Sesselja Bender</span> Icelandic academic

Sóley Sesselja Bender is a professor at the Faculty of Nursing of the University of Iceland. Her specialty is sexual and reproductive health, where she has worked for years on these health matters. She has pioneered in the development of teaching in the field of sexual and reproductive health, contraceptive counselling, and sexual and reproductive health policy formulation in Iceland and internationally.

References

  1. ↑ Elliott, Alexander (2019-05-14). "Abortion bill passed by parliament - RÚV.is". RÚV. Retrieved 2023-05-09.
  2. ↑ Lög um ráðgjöf og fræðslu varðandi kynlíf og barneignir og um fóstureyðingar og ófrjósemisaðgerðir (in Icelandic)
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Abortion in Iceland". United Nations . Retrieved 6 September 2014.
  4. ↑ "Europe's terms for terminations". BBC. 2 June 2002. Retrieved 6 September 2014.
  5. ↑ "Fóstureyðingar verði þungunarrof - Vísir". visir.is. Retrieved 2017-04-09.
  6. ↑ "Þungunarrofsfrumvarpið samþykkt". Kjarninn (in Icelandic). 2019-05-13. Retrieved 2019-05-13.
  7. ↑ Bender S; Geirsson RT; Kosunen E (2003). "Trends in teenage fertility, abortion, and pregnancy rates in Iceland compared with other Nordic countries, 1976–99". Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica. 82 (1): 38–47. doi: 10.1034/j.1600-0412.2003.820107.x . PMID   12580838. S2CID   40811128.
  8. ↑ "World Abortion Policies 2013". United Nations. 2013. Retrieved 3 March 2014.
  9. ↑ ""What kind of society do you want to live in?": Inside the country where Down syndrome is disappearing". CBS News . August 15, 2017. Since pre-natal screening tests were introduced in Iceland in the early 2000s, the vast majority of women - close to 100 percent - who received a positive test for Down syndrome terminated their pregnancy.
  10. ↑ ""Let's Talk about Iceland": Iceland and Down Syndrome: what the numbers really say". Abortion Rights Campaign. November 28, 2017. Archived from the original on 19 May 2022. Retrieved 9 February 2019. In the last ten years for which the WHO provides data, Iceland's rate was about 10% lower than the EU average. Scientifically, such a small difference can be considered random.
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