Germany moves to reform abortion law

The government is following through on its pledge to decriminalize abortion. Officials plan to abolish a law that subjects doctors who publish information on abortion procedures to prosecution.

24.06.2022
Elizabeth Schumacher

"I really struggled to find information online," said Verena, who was 22 when she found herself dealing with an unwanted pregnancy. "There was no easy way to find out which doctors perform abortions, where they are or how the procedure is performed."

Abortion is illegal in Germany and punishable by up to three years in prison. But the women and their doctors do not face penalties if the pregnancy poses a health risk to the woman or in cases of rape. Otherwise, an abortion may be carried out within the first 12 weeks of pregnancy (14 weeks since the last period) after mandatory counseling. However, many barriers remain.

Continued: https://www.dw.com/en/germany-moves-to-reform-abortion-law/a-62014740

24.06.2022

Featured

News

advertising of abortion

Jana Maeffert

Kristina Hänel

Medical Students for Choice

papaya workshops

Paragraph 219a German criminal code

Germany scraps Nazi-era law that barred doctors’ abortion ads

Majority vote ends law banning doctors from offering information about abortion procedures

Philip Oltermann in Berlin
Fri 24 Jun 2022

Germany has abolished a Nazi-era law that criminalises doctors who provide information about abortion procedures.

The governing social democrat, liberal and green parties, as well as the leftwing Die Linke, provided sufficient votes on Friday to scrap paragraph 219a of the German criminal code, which meant any doctor who publicly “offers, announces [or] advertises” abortion services could face penalties of up to two years’ imprisonment or a fine.

Continued: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jun/24/germany-scraps-nazi-era-abortion-law-that-criminalises-doctors

24.06.2022

Featured

News

advertising abortion

Elisabeth Winkelmeier-Becker

Kristina Hänel

Lisa Paus

Marco Buschmann

Paragraph 219a German criminal code

Germany’s cabinet approves scrapping of Nazi-era abortion law

Germany’s cabinet ministers back law that will allow doctors to provide information about abortions, but the procedures remain limited.

Al Jazeera
9 Mar 2022

Germany’s cabinet has approved legislation that will do away with a Nazi-era law forbidding doctors from providing information about abortions.

The bill put forward by Justice Minister Marco Buschmann on Wednesday must now be debated by both houses of parliament.

Continued: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/3/9/germanys-cabinet-approves-scrapping-of-nazi-era-abortion-law

09.03.2022

Paragraph 219a German criminal code

Germany one step closer to scrapping Nazi-era abortion law

January 17, 2022

BERLIN, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Germany's justice ministry presented a draft law on Monday that would do away with a Nazi-era law forbidding doctors to provide information about abortions.

Doctors in Germany are allowed to say they offer termination of pregnancies but are not allowed to provide any further information on such procedures.

Continued: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/germany-one-step-closer-scrapping-nazi-era-abortion-law-2022-01-17/

17.01.2022

Paragraph 219a German criminal code

Germany set to lift ban on abortion advertising, justice minister says

The draft bill states that ‘physicians must be able to support women in this difficult situation without fear of prosecution.’

BY LOUIS WESTENDARP
January 17, 2022

German Minister of Justice Marco Buschmann announced Monday the coalition government is set to lift the country's ban on abortion advertising.

The justice ministry submitted a draft law Monday, as it bids to end what Buschmann called an "untenable" situation on women's reproductive rights.

Continued: https://www.politico.eu/article/germany-to-lift-ban-on-abortion-advertising-justice-minister-says/

17.01.2022

Paragraph 219a German criminal code

Germany eases access to abortions in telemedicine pilot project

Germany has seen a dramatic reduction in the number of doctors who will perform abortions. Now, a telemedicine pilot project wants to help women enact their right to reproductive self-determination.

19.12.2021
Kate Brady

Anna and her partner had been using a copper coil IUD as a contraceptive for two years before they found themselves staring, stunned at a positive pregnancy test. The chances of conceiving had been slim: Fewer than one in 100 women will become pregnant while using the internal contraceptive.

Anna, who was 26 at the time, and her partner didn't feel ready to start a family. Both financial constraints and a lack of support in the family played a role in their decision to terminate the pregnancy — a choice that wasn't easy to make.

Continued: https://www.dw.com/en/germany-eases-access-to-abortions-in-telemedicine-pilot-project/a-60172718

The German medical students who want to learn about abortion

Sept 25, 2020

Abortion has been available throughout Germany since the 1970s but the number of doctors carrying out the procedure is now in decline. Jessica Bateman meets students and young doctors who want to fill the gap.

The woman at the family planning clinic
looked at Teresa Bauer and her friend sternly. "And what are you
studying?" she asked the friend, who had just found out she was pregnant,
and wanted an abortion.

"Cultural studies," she replied.

"Ahhh, so you're living a colourful lifestyle?" came the woman's retort.

Bauer sat still, hiding her rage.

Continued: https://www.bbc.com/news/stories-53989951

A closer look at Germany’s abortion law

A closer look at Germany’s abortion law

February 1, 2020
By Monika Müller-Kroll
Studio Berlin, broadcast Feb. 1, 2020 (25 minute podcast)

It’s been almost a year since the German parliament voted to amend Paragraph 219a, regarding the advertisement of abortion services, in the country’s criminal code. What does this look like in practice, and what are abortion rights activists and opponents calling for in 2020?

Host Sylvia Cunningham takes a closer look at Germany’s abortion law with Kate Cahoon from the pro abortion rights group, Bündnis für sexuelle Selbstbestimmung, Dr. Alicia Baier from Doctors for Choice Germany, and Dr. Paul Cullen, chairman of Ärzte für das Leben (Doctors for Life).

Continued: https://kcrwberlin.com/2020/02/studio-berlin-broadcast-feb-1-2020-a-closer-look-at-germanys-abortion-law/

Germany’s abortion law: made by the Nazis, upheld by today’s right

Germany’s abortion law: made by the Nazis, upheld by today’s right
An old 1930s law that hinders women’s access to information about terminations has survived public protest – and is being exploited by anti-abortion groups

Mithu Sanyal
Wed 8 Jan 2020

It’s like the holocaust only worse, according to babycaust.de, the German website dedicated to abortion, or as they call it: “The mass murder of unborn children.”

Every country has its nutters. The problem with these particular nutters is that their website is your best bet if you need to find a doctor who performs abortions in Germany. It provides a full list of practitioners with the “licence to kill” by town and postcode, decorated with images of hacked-up babies in petri dishes, some of them made into gifs to show the blood still dripping. Whatever for? They obviously don’t want you to go to these doctors. But they do want to make it easier for you to report these “killers” to the police.

Continued: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/jan/08/abortion-law-germany-nazis-women

German doctor fined again over abortion advertising ban

German doctor fined again over abortion advertising ban

by The Associated Press
Posted Dec 12, 2019

BERLIN — A German doctor has been convicted for the second time of violating a ban on advertising abortions in a case that has become a rallying point for opponents of the law.

News agency dpa reported Thursday that Kristina Haenel was fined 2,500 euros ($2,775) by the state court in the central city of Giessen. Alongside the fine, it made clear that it wasn’t convinced the law is in line with Germany’s constitution.

Continued: https://www.citynews1130.com/2019/12/12/german-doctor-fined-again-over-abortion-advertising-ban/

12.12.2019