SOUTH AFRICA – Limpopo teen says religious objection at clinic drove her to unsafe abortion

Moyahabo Mabeba
July 6, 2026

An 18-year-old from rural Limpopo says she was denied a legal abortion at a public clinic last month, after a nurse refused to help her on religious grounds, leaving her to seek an illegal abortion from a traditional healer.

In May, the matriculant from Makotopong village, says she missed her period and suspected she was pregnant.

“The moment I missed my menstruation, I just suspected that there was something wrong. I confided in my cousin, and she suggested that we buy a pregnancy test kit from a pharmacy. The kit confirmed the pregnancy.”

Continued: https://health-e.org.za/2026/07/06/limpopo-teen-religious-objection-clinic-unsafe-abortion/

South Africa – Report sparks row over abortion rights, healthcare workers’ beliefs

By Tshwarelo eseng Mogakane
28th June 2026

Women in Limpopo and the Eastern Cape travel up to 300km to access reproductive healthcare services, with many subsequently being denied the right to terminate pregnancies with dignity.

A report by Section 27 and the Centre for Child Law found that some healthcare workers are denying women legal abortions, on the basis of moral and religious beliefs.

Continued: https://sundayworld.co.za/politics/report-sparks-row-over-abortion-rights-healthcare-workers-beliefs/

Queensland’s new public hospital to refuse voluntary assisted dying care, abortions and contraception for religious reasons

By Emma Pollard and state political reporter Jack McKay
May 20, 2026

The Queensland premier has opened the state's first major new public hospital in almost a decade — at Springfield, south-west of Brisbane — but it will not offer some services for religious reasons.

Mater Hospital Springfield is a 186-bed facility expected to care for around 185,000 patients each year in one of the south-east corner's major growth corridors.

Continued: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-05-20/queensland-new-mater-hospital-springfield-opens/106702558

Spain – A Second-Class Right

Spain’s Proposal to Constitutionalise the Right to Abortion

21 April 2026
Rosario Grimà Algora

The Spanish Government has recently approved a project for a constitutional amendment to protect the right to a voluntary termination of pregnancy (abortion). This amendment would add a new paragraph to article 43, on the right to healthcare, to include the following text:

“Public authorities shall guarantee women’s right to voluntarily terminate their pregnancy under conditions of real and effective equality, with all the necessary provisions and services for that exercise.”1)

While the discussion of constitutional reform is welcome, the current amendment falls short of its promises.

Continued : https://verfassungsblog.de/spain-abortion-constitution/

Refusal of Care Laws Put Providers’ Personal Beliefs Ahead of Patient Well-Being

April 3, 2026
National Women’s Law Center

Health care is a basic human right, and everyone deserves access to the care they need. Yet across the nation, health care facilities and providers are refusing to give patients care, information, and referrals based on personal objections rather than patient needs. State and federal laws – known as refusal laws – allow such refusals, emboldening hospitals and individual health care providers to use personal beliefs to deny patients’ care, even if their refusals result in harm to patients.

Continued: https://nwlc.org/resource/refusal-of-care-laws-put-providers-personal-beliefs-ahead-of-patient-well-being/

Madrid introduces registry of doctors refusing abortions a new phase in abortion regulation

Madrid officials have begun discussions on establishing a registry for medical professionals who refuse to perform abortions. The new proposal has sparked debate among politicians and the public. The decision could impact access to healthcare services in the region.

Ricardo Rubio
April 2, 2026

The introduction of a registry for medical workers who refuse to perform abortions on ethical grounds could shift the balance between patient and doctor rights in Madrid. For residents of the region, this may mean changes in access to healthcare services and new regulations for hospitals. Authorities say the decision is aimed at complying with legislation and ensuring medical standards are met.

As El Pais notes, the Madrid government has published the draft document on a public consultation portal. This step allows not only experts but also ordinary citizens to share their views on the proposed regulation. Officials emphasize that transparency and consideration of diverse opinions will help prevent conflicts between medical staff and patients.

Continued: https://russpain.com/en/news-3/madrid-authorities-consider-registry-for-conscientious-objector-doctors-424961/

02.04.2026

News

anti-choice misogyny

anti-choice negligence

belief-based care denial

care denial

conscientious objection

Could a registry of doctors who refuse abortions improve access in Spain?

By Léa Marchal, Brussels
13 March 2026
Podcast – 6 minutes, with transcript

In Spain, abortion is back in the political and legal spotlight.

A court ruling has just ordered the city of Madrid to create a registry of conscientious objectors. These are doctors in the region who refuse to perform abortion procedures.

Continued: https://euobserver.com/206829/listen-could-a-registry-of-doctors-who-refuse-abortions-improve-access-in-spain/

13.03.2026

Interviews/Podcasts

belief-based care denial

conscientious objection

conscientious objectors

European Social Fund Plus

Isabel Díaz Ayuso

registry of conscientious objectors

Europe

Spain

Human Rights

NSW guidelines proposed to prevent hospitals from refusing abortion care based on personal beliefs

Lucy Barbour
Dec 11, 2025

Hospital managers and executives would be barred from blocking abortions because of personal beliefs, under new guidelines proposed for public health services across New South Wales.

A draft copy of the "termination of pregnancy policy directive", obtained by the ABC, includes a new section that specifically deals with conscientious objection among those managing and administering health and hospital services.

Continued : https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-12-12/document-reveals-plan-to-limit-blocking-of-abortions/106091562

11.12.2025

News

Amanda Cohn

belief-based care denial

conscientious objection

MSI Australia

Orange Health Service

Pregnancy Options Care and Support Service

Madrid Refuses to Create Registry of Doctors Who Refuse Abortions Despite Government Pressure

Regional authorities will not draw up lists of doctors opposing abortion: decisions left to the courts

Ricardo Rubio
Nov 15, 2025

The authorities of the Autonomous Community of Madrid have decided not to create a special registry of medical professionals who, for personal beliefs, are unwilling to perform abortions. This move comes in response to a requirement from the central government, which previously gave one month for the formation of such lists in several regions, including Madrid, Aragón, and the Balearic Islands.

The regional administration stated it does not intend to single out or label either patients or doctors involved in abortion procedures. According to Madrid government officials, such lists could infringe on the rights of both women and medical professionals, and risk undermining anonymity and freedom of choice.

Continued: https://russpain.com/en/news-3/madrid-refuses-to-create-abortion-objector-doctor-registry-despite-government-demands-326522/

15.11.2025

News

belief-based care denial

conscientious objection

list of objectors

registry of objectors

Europe: Existing barriers to abortion access compounded by alarming attempts to roll back reproductive rights

6 November 2025
Amnesty International

European governments must act to ensure equal and universal access to abortion care in the face of ongoing restrictions and intensifying efforts to further limit access to abortion across the region, said Amnesty International in a report published today.

When rights aren’t real for all: The struggle for abortion access in Europe reveals how – despite hard won progress – harmful and dangerous obstacles continue to undermine access to abortion care. This is taking place in the context of increasingly well-resourced anti-rights groups ramping up their efforts to negatively influence policies and laws, often through the spread of fear and disinformation, aimed at further restricting access to abortion.

Continued: https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2025/11/europe-existing-barriers-to-abortion-access-compounded-by-alarming-attempts-to-roll-back-reproductive-rights/

06.11.2025