FRANCE - 60 French parliamentarians have signed an open letter calling on the government to facilitate access to abortion during the COVID-19 crisis.
French women’s rights organisations and health professionals were quick to point out the consequences of the nationwide lockdown and the priority-shifting of the health system to treat COVID-19 patients on the right to SRHR services. The saturation of hospitals, the halting of certain surgical procedures, and the lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) indicated a barrier in access to abortion treatments. In response, political decision-makers call for timely adjustments in the abortion law, extending time limits and facilitating access.
The open letter calls for:
- “the lengthening of the periods of access to abortion from 12 to 14 weeks of pregnancy”;
- “simplification of access to medical termination of pregnancy for psychosocial reasons.”
With the start of the deconfinement period, experts expect an increase in late diagnostics and abortion requests, as the lockdown is predicted to have aggravated acts of violence, while restricting the ability obtain consultations or professional help.
The legislators call on the government to take up the task to prevent a decline in women’s rights as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic.