Each year, more than 5,000 women from across Europe travel to Spain to undergo abortion procedures. This trend highlights a growing issue for many women who face obstacles in their home countries to access safe and legal abortion services. According to an international journalistic investigation coordinated by the digital outlet Público, women travel across borders to seek a termination of pregnancy, as legal frameworks vary significantly across European nations.
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Why Do Women Travel to Spain for Abortion?
One of the main factors driving this trend is the differing abortion laws in European countries. The Netherlands, for example, is the most common destination for European women seeking abortions. The Dutch law allows abortion up to the 24th week of pregnancy, making it a sought-after destination for women in countries with more restrictive laws. However, Spain also plays a pivotal role as one of the leading destinations for women from countries like Portugal, where the limit for voluntary abortion is set at the 10th week.
Women from countries like Germany, where abortion is permitted only up to the 12th week of pregnancy, are also increasingly traveling to Spain, where the abortion limit extends to the 14th week. In many cases, some women do not realize they are pregnant until it is too late to access an abortion in their home country. This delay, combined with regional disparities in healthcare access, pushes them to seek services abroad.
The Growing Trend: 27,000 Abortions Across European Borders
From 2019 to 2023, over 27,238 cases of European women traveling to other countries for abortion procedures were documented. This number is equivalent to the population of a mid-sized European city like Segovia in Spain. The issue is most noticeable in countries where women face systemic barriers, such as long waiting times, restrictive access to medical procedures, or healthcare professionals’ refusal to carry out the abortion due to conscience objections.
Obstacles to Abortion Access in Europe
Many women are forced to travel for an abortion because they cannot access safe services in their home country. These obstacles range from a lack of medical facilities, few trained professionals who offer abortion services, and laws that restrict abortion rights, especially after a certain period of pregnancy. Additionally, some countries still allow healthcare professionals to refuse to provide abortion services based on personal or religious beliefs. This phenomenon, known as conscientious objection, affects many countries across Europe and exacerbates the challenges faced by women seeking abortion.
Another critical reason why women travel to Spain is the medical and legal uncertainty that can arise when fetal anomalies or malformations are detected later in the pregnancy. While some countries have clearer laws regarding abortion in cases of medical need, others require a clinical committee to review each case, and the decision can vary significantly based on the composition of that committee.
Spain’s Role and Challenges in Providing Abortion Access
Spain has emerged as a key provider of abortion services for women within Europe. However, even in Spain, women face challenges in accessing these services. For instance, some doctors may disagree on whether a particular case qualifies for an abortion, especially when the criteria for the procedure are not explicitly defined in law. This discretionary power held by medical committees can create an inconsistent and sometimes discriminatory approach to providing abortions.
Jordi Baroja, deputy director of the Associació de Drets Sexuals i Reproductius de Catalunya (Association for Sexual and Reproductive Rights of Catalonia), explains that Spain’s legal framework allows subjective criteria in determining the necessity of an abortion. As a result, some diagnoses are never approved for abortion procedures, particularly when they involve certain fetal abnormalities.
A Complex Issue with No Easy Solutions
The situation is more complex than just accessing abortion services. While living in a country with more lenient abortion laws may provide women with more options, it does not always guarantee that they will have access to the procedure when needed. Legal frameworks and the decision-making powers of medical committees often result in delays or denials of services, forcing women to seek abortions elsewhere.
Ultimately, Spain’s role in providing safe and legal abortion services continues to grow. However, the situation also reflects broader issues across Europe regarding access to reproductive healthcare, healthcare professionals’ rights to refuse services, and the continued politicization of abortion laws. As the number of women traveling across borders for abortion services continues to rise, the conversation about reproductive rights and access to healthcare will undoubtedly remain a topic of significant concern across Europe.
This article is originally published on: herculesdiario
