Recent trends on Sexual and Reproductive Rights in Central and Eastern Europe with special focus on Poland
1. LINKAGES BETWEEN SRHR AND EQUALITY
International consensus
Beijing Platform of Action recognizes that the protection of women's sexual and reproductive health and rights is critical to the ability of women to participate equally and fully in all areas of society (paragraph 92).
He acknowledged that "the rights of women include their right to control and decide freely and responsibly on matters related to their sexuality, including sexual and reproductive health free of coercion, discrimination and violence." (Paragraph 96)
"The ability of women to control their own fertility is really fundamental to women's empowerment and equality. When a woman can plan her family, she can plan the rest of his life. When he is healthy, he could be more productive. And when reproductive rights are promoted ... and protected, he has the freedom to participate more fully and equally in society. The rights of reproduction is very important for the advancement of women. "
Thoraya A. Obaid, UNFPA Executive Director
Ministers from European Union member states agreed that "gender equality can not be achieved without ensuring women's sexual and reproductive health and rights", and asserted that expanding access to sexual and reproductive health information and health services is essential for achieving the Beijing Platform for Action , Cairo Programme of Action and the Millennium Development Goals; "
Declaration of the EU Ministerial Conference on Gender Equality, Luxembourg, 4 02 2005
European Parliament
June 2002, Anne Van Lanker, MEP, presented a report from the Committee on SRHR to the European Parliament plenary session. The starting point is focused on the commitment made by the EU for the outcome of the Cairo and Beijing conferences. The report calls for member countries of the European Union to ensure SRHR policies and standards.
No policy, however, has been adopted for the EU countries themselves.
February 2004, Karin Junker, MEP, presented a report on population and development adopted by the European Parliament 10 years after the UN Conference in Cairo. This report reminds the commitments made in Cairo, and the call in the EU and its member states to carry out extensive campaigns to fulfill the promises of the ICPD to emphasize the importance of reproductive health in development policy.
March 2004 Véronique de Keyser, MEP presented the report on human rights in the world, which also includes issues related to SRHR, the EP Committee on Foreign Affairs. The report was adopted at the plenary session.
2. ABOUT TRENDS SRHR in CEE COUNTRIES
[CEE include the New Member States of the European Union received in 2003 and 2007, neighboring countries and the former Soviet Union]
2.1 General overview
SRHR includes a variety of health issues and rights related to sexuality and reproduction. They include sexuality education, abortion, family planning, STIs including HIV / AIDS, assisted reproduction, LGBT rights, the rights of adolescents and sexual and reproductive health information and services free of discrimination, trade-in-persons, violence against women . Due to time limits I will focus on access to sexuality education planning, abortion and family.
For the last almost 20 years, about SRHR negative trend can be observed in many countries in the CEE region. It should be recognized that while international standards, commitments and agreements have made great achievements and progress in the 90s, in the CEE region significant reaction has occurred. As a result, the gap between CEE countries and the countries of "old" European Union, these issues, develop.
Historically, before the political and economic transformation of the region that began with the Solidarity trade union resistance in Poland, followed by the collapse of the Berlin Wall, an abortion-an important component of SRHR, has legal and freely accessible throughout the region since the late 1950s, with the exception of Romania and Albania.
Since the 1990s, while Romania and strict abortion laws have been liberalized Albania, in many countries in the region, abortion and other SRHR has increasingly become a hot political issue, influenced by the increasing political role of religious institutions, especially the Roman Catholic Church . Similarly, access to contraception and sexuality education has also been politicized, controversial and / or persistently ignored by policy makers sought to avoid what is considered a controversial issue.
Increasingly public discourse has been shaped by religious fundamentalist approach. This approach is dominant in many sectors, including politics, the media, in health and education. International standards and agreements on the protection and promotion of SRHR and gender equality have very little impact on law and policy in the CEE region.
Political controversy surrounding reproductive rights has been and continues to have a chilling effect on access to modern reproductive technology even if the law is not strictly a constraint. For this reason, access to emergency contraception or medical abortion has been severely restricted in the region.
2.2. General characteristics
Countries of CEE share common characteristics that lead to inadequate policy in the area of SRHR.
Protagonist
- Very weak civil society, including women's movement, unable to breach efficiently counteract the power of religious conservatives and strong and heavily funded;
On the other hand, religious institutions have been given a special role and can not be justified as a political actor.
- Left hand, a weak, inefficient, and struggling with their communist heritage, easily compromise women's rights for political gain.
- Anti-choice movement actors increasingly more visible and institutionally supported by the Church to build a strong financial, capacity and conceptual support of the U.S. anti-choice movement. Many anti-choice strategy used in the CEE is based on strategies that have been used and is being used in the United States. With U.S. offices, NGOs, Human Life International has opened a regional office in Poland.
Conceptual issues
From a non-issue into a controversial issue
In communism, abortion is not an issue of public debate, it is practiced but not discussed. In contrast to Western societies where women have to fight for their RR in the 60s and 70s, people in CEE do not need to defend these rights, they do not develop an argument and pro-choice movement around the issue. In part, because of this, they have become extremely vulnerable to anti-choice rhetoric.
SRHR - no matter equality
SRHR - are not regarded as issues of gender equality, women's decision making and autonomy. Rhetoric provided by anti-choice movement and supported at the political level by many governments in CEE, see SRHR as issues concerning fetal protection of any rights of women may have during pregnancy and beyond. In this rhetoric of a woman is considered only a carrier of the fetus, their rights are secondary to it.
Reproductive health as a health issue is also being put into question in several places. For example, former Minister of Health in Poland asked if he would promote contraception, stating that as "sex is not a disease no need for the Department of Health to address this issue".
Regional political context
Sharing the anti-choice strategy region-wide
Anti-selection strategies that are being exchanged region-wide. Poland, due to restrictive laws and policies, is seen as a model for anti-choice movement in other countries, especially in Slovakia and Lithuania, which had been various attempts to ban abortion, and to limit contraception and comprehensive sexuality education.
Increasing conservatism among professionals
Health and legal professionals become more and more conservative. Leading lawyers initiate or engage in debates on SRHR often represent the anti-choice position. Health professionals are increasingly using the conscience clause to avoid providing abortion services or contraception. This phenomenon seems to be the result of the strong impact of religion on the strength of the professionals. There has formed a professional association of Catholic doctors, lawyers and pharmacists in some countries, which seeks to restrict women's access to SRH services, including in Poland.
Demographic argument
Demographic concerns, especially very low birth rate in this region in some countries, sparking calls for restrictive measures on access to abortion or contraception, and the results of others in the lack of supporting SRHR return policy. Initiatives to limit the SRHR is often justified by the low birth. Politicians seem to believe against all scientific evidence that restrict abortion and / or contraception will result in the birth rate increases, though, the example of Poland, shows otherwise. In Poland the number of births declined from 494,310 (1993 - years when abortion should be criminalized)) to 351 072 (2003).
3. ACCESS TO REGION-WIDE SRHR
Sexuality Education
Comprehensive sexuality education that provides young people with accurate information and unbiased is still lacking in the CEE region. In some countries, it is part of another program, such as biology or anatomy. However, when sexuality education available in schools, the curriculum often does not give sufficient attention to information on all aspects of sexuality, contraception, sexually transmitted diseases including HIV / AIDS, and does not provide young people with decision-making skills related to their sexual life and reproduction and do not support gender equality. In fact, in some of the curriculum is primarily represented the ideal woman as a housewife and mother.
Sexual education in Armenia is really absent from school. In Lithuania and Slovakia lesson in sexual education classes conducted in several biology, religion or ethics.
Lack of comprehensive sexual education and limited access to effective family planning services which led to high rates of teenage pregnancy in this region and to the higher number of STIs. In most Western European countries and some CEE countries, especially Croatia and Slovenia teenage pregnancy rate is between 13 and 25 per 1,000 women aged 15-19 years. In other countries of CEE and NIS countries is 2-4 times the price higher, in Ukraine even more than 100 per 1000 women. The unavailability of accurate sexuality education and comprehensive also increase the risk of HIV infection / AIDS among adolescents. Adolescent HIV / AIDS rate is the fastest growth rate in the region.
Contraception
Prevalence of modern contraceptive methods in CEE was 36% compared with 71% prevalence rate in the countries of Western Europe. Modern contraception, in particular hormonal contraception, remains inaccessible to most residents because of high costs. In some states the annual cost of contraception is higher than abortion (Russia, Armenia). In addition, health care providers often have misconceptions about modern contraceptive methods and thus provide incorrect information to either the patient or reluctant to discuss contraception with their choices. Often this is related to personal religious views of health care providers or pharmacists.
Lack of access to accurate information and financial means to access the appropriate contraception has led to high rates of unwanted pregnancies and unplanned which result in abortion, many are performed in unsafe conditions that threaten the lives and health of women. In Russia, Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia woman does not have the means to prevent unwanted pregnancies and thus, the rate of unwanted pregnancies is very high in abortion became the primary method of fertility control. In Eastern Europe 63% of the 11 million pregnancies that occur each year are unplanned.
Abortion
Although in theory abortion is available on request during the first trimester in CEE countries, with the exception of Poland, there are various restrictions in law and in practice, which makes abortion services are not accessible and that encourage women to undergo illegal and thus, abortion unsafe, putting their health and lives at risk. In addition, the anti-choice and Catholic churches and Orthodox continue their efforts aimed at making abortion less accessible to women demonizing and who seek to use their rights. In Hungary since 2000, a woman seeking an abortion affected by biased counseling requirements and abortion services are not covered by health insurance, except on medical indications or criminal. In Slovakia and Lithuania women face increasing problems in finding a doctor who would perform an abortion because the practice is not regulated conscience In Latvia women seeking abortions should be exposed to anti-choice bias brochures aimed at discouraging them from undergoing legal abortion services.
Furthermore, despite the fact that in countries most areas of abortion is legally available, lack of access to safe, legal abortion has forced women to undergo unsafe abortions, illegal conditions which often cause serious health problems or even death. Despite the fact that the maternal mortality rate in CEE has declined from around 40-50 per 100,000 live births before the 1990-15 per 100,000 live births after 1990, it was still much higher than in Western Europe. In France, for example, the number of maternal deaths is 6.45 per 100 000 live births, in Finland 5.4, 9.9 in the Netherlands and in Sweden 3.28. Unsafe abortion remains one of the main causes of high maternal mortality rate that the CEE region.
Denying women access to safe and legal abortion places their health and lives at risk and prohibit them from achieving autonomy and physical integrity. Such practices violate women's right to life, liberty and security, right to privacy, and the result of discrimination against women.
4. COUNTRY SITUATION
Poland
SRHR are permanently on the agenda of conservative politics and fundamentalist religion. In early 2000 there has been a constant effort to further restrict the legislation of anti-abortion currently effective since 1993, which allows for an abortion for medical reasons, criminal and genetics.
In the last two years two major efforts have been made. In 2006 / 7 League of Polish Families, an organization of anti-choice, anti-woman, trying to introduce a complete ban on abortion by changing the Constitution of Poland. They propose to introduce the protection of life from the moment of conception. This effort ultimately failed in the final vote, but conservatives have a majority of normal voice. They just did not work to collect 2 / 3 vote required to change the Constitution.
Polish Ombudsman for Human Rights is currently considering a complaint to the Constitutional Court of Poland against anti-abortion law section allows for therapeutic abortion on the grounds. He wrote this article because of a lack of precision is not constitutional. The aim is to restrict access to abortion based on health reasons. This initiative is being considered on the eve of 15th anniversary of the introduction of these laws restrict anti-abortion that was passed by the Polish Parliament on January 7, 1993. Finally, the Ombudsman decided to make a complaint but strong lobbying from conservative lawyer immediately come up with other similar initiatives.
His initiative to restrict access to legal abortion is undoubtly is based on the final decision of the European Court for Human Rights (ECHR) in the case of Alicja Tysiacha. According to this decision was the refusal of access to legal abortion for medical reasons is a breech of his right to privacy under the European Convention on Human Rights. This is very disturbing side effect of the victory of Polish women in the Court of Strasbourg. This leads to the sad conclusion that the recommendations of the ECHR to introduce legal measures that create a legal abortion accessible to women in reality may not be implemented by the Polish decision-makers. On the contrary, the European Court's decision is being manipulated to support legal initiatives that will lead to further restrictions.
The latest report from the Polish Federation for Women and Family Planning confirmed that the anti-abortion law that de jure allows for abortion for medical reasons, criminal and genetics, in practice it is much more stringent. Abortion is almost inaccessible because of a very strict interpretation of the law.
As for sexuality education, government programs greatly influenced by the teachings of the Catholic, heavily biased and scientifically inaccurate in its many aspects.
Teenagers in Poland to receive information about sexual and reproductive life in a course called "education for family life". Curricula and school books much text is affected by the doctrine of the Catholic Church concerning human sexuality and focus, for example in promoting the "natural method" of contraception ignores reality and adolescents need information to protect themselves from unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections, like HIV / AIDS , and developing relationships based on gender equality and respect.
There is no state policy promoting modern forms of contraception. On the other hand, the government introduced a program ex-promoting natural family planning.
Croatia
20 years ago in Croatia 50 000 women have legal abortions. Recent statistics show that the number fell to 4500 per year. In 1989 55 000 children born, now 42 000.
Abortion is legal in Croatia to 12 weeks into pregnancy. This law is binding since 1978. Only 33 public hospitals have the right to an abortion. It is illegal in private clinics.
Croatian bishops are still attractive to ban abortion. They even sent an appeal to the hierarchs of other churches (and orthodox Muslim) ask for their support.
15 years ago women were not afraid to admit that they have an abortion. Currently, they feel shame and fear of stigmatization. Abortion is considered a sin. On the other hand, everyone knows that the private life of an abortion clinic illegal and that the business is active and actually beneficial.
Some women, who do not want to be recognized, travel to other cities and even to Slovenia. In the Balkan Peninsula a similar situation only in Kosovo.
Symbols policy is 25 Kuna coins (about 3 Euros) with the image of the fetus by the umbilical cord clearly visible.
Lithuania
Lithuania is a permanent battleground SRHR as far as is concerned. At the end of last year, 2007, the Lithuanian Parliament a group of conservative lawmakers proposed a new draft legislation aimed at severely restricting abortion in Lithuania. It is an initiative of the Polish minority political parties. This is the third time when the same group is trying to ban abortion. This time Parliament decided to discuss the law. Discussion and voting on this draft is planned for spring 2008 session. This bill is based on Polish law is limited. It prohibits abortion except in cases when the pregnancy endangers the health or woman's life or is the result of illegal actions.
Pro-choice associations are always being attacked by their opponents in the media.
In Lithuania there is a conservative organization. In addition, the Polish (Akcja Wyborcza na Polaków Litwie) who proposed the action is gaining popularity and receive more votes in the election latest Lithuania.
Slovakia
Positive developments in Slovakia. On May 19, 2001 the Christian Democrats filed a complaint to the Constitutional Court that the current abortion law since 1986 is unconstitutional and contrary to article 15 the Slovak Constitution which says that "everyone has the right to life" and that "human life worthy of protection even before birth" . On 4 th December 2007 after six years of deliberations of the Constitutional Court issued a ruling which states that every woman has the right to abortion during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. At the same time the Court requested that the right to have legal abortions because of malformation of the fetus until the 24th week of pregnancy clarified in the law. This decision, very similar to the decision of the European Court of Human Rights in Poland, is being manipulated by conservative political parties to restrict women's access to abortion and to introduce legislation calling for biased counseling, waiting periods and parental consent requirements for adolescents strong.
Russia
Abortion is the primary method of fertility in Russia. About 60% of pregnancies end in abortion, placing second behind Romania Russia for the country with the most per capita abortion. Limited availability of contraception and abortion are relatively low cost to account for this high level of contraception. Russian law legalize abortion during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy upon request. It allows abortion at later stages only to save the life of a woman, to keep the mental or physical health, to social
reason, or if the fetus is impaired. Teens under 15 years old must have parental consent to get an abortion.
Despite the high abortion rate in Russia, broad access to safe abortion is not the reality. Unsafe abortion is a major cause of maternal death, and the government has not worked to ensure that all abortions performed under medical care and sanitary conditions. Furthermore, the right to abortion is currently threatened. A 2003 decree allowed limited social reasons for abortion between 12 and 22 weeks of gestation of 12 for four reasons. These reasons are: 1) the court's decision to revoke or restrict the rights of the elderly person, 2) pregnancy due to rape; 3) detention in a detention center, and 4) severe disability or death of her husband during pregnancy. This decision to limit women's ability to secure safe abortion. In particular, ill vulnerable populations such as adolescents who tend to wait until after 12 weeks of pregnancy to seek medical help.
5. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
Prepare a report on current situation re SRHR in Europe with policy recommendations and programs;
Explicit support for SRHR as gender equality issues to be addressed by the EU institutions;
Encourage member states and neighboring countries to base their SRHR policies, laws and programs on gender equality principles and scientific evidence, not on religious ideology;
Encourage the European Commission to strengthen the initiative on SRHR within equality policy of the European Union;
Encourages the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights and the European Union Institute for Gender Equality to include SRHR issues as within their mandate
1. LINKAGES BETWEEN SRHR AND EQUALITY
International consensus
Beijing Platform of Action recognizes that the protection of women's sexual and reproductive health and rights is critical to the ability of women to participate equally and fully in all areas of society (paragraph 92).
He acknowledged that "the rights of women include their right to control and decide freely and responsibly on matters related to their sexuality, including sexual and reproductive health free of coercion, discrimination and violence." (Paragraph 96)
"The ability of women to control their own fertility is really fundamental to women's empowerment and equality. When a woman can plan her family, she can plan the rest of his life. When he is healthy, he could be more productive. And when reproductive rights are promoted ... and protected, he has the freedom to participate more fully and equally in society. The rights of reproduction is very important for the advancement of women. "
Thoraya A. Obaid, UNFPA Executive Director
Ministers from European Union member states agreed that "gender equality can not be achieved without ensuring women's sexual and reproductive health and rights", and asserted that expanding access to sexual and reproductive health information and health services is essential for achieving the Beijing Platform for Action , Cairo Programme of Action and the Millennium Development Goals; "
Declaration of the EU Ministerial Conference on Gender Equality, Luxembourg, 4 02 2005
European Parliament
June 2002, Anne Van Lanker, MEP, presented a report from the Committee on SRHR to the European Parliament plenary session. The starting point is focused on the commitment made by the EU for the outcome of the Cairo and Beijing conferences. The report calls for member countries of the European Union to ensure SRHR policies and standards.
No policy, however, has been adopted for the EU countries themselves.
February 2004, Karin Junker, MEP, presented a report on population and development adopted by the European Parliament 10 years after the UN Conference in Cairo. This report reminds the commitments made in Cairo, and the call in the EU and its member states to carry out extensive campaigns to fulfill the promises of the ICPD to emphasize the importance of reproductive health in development policy.
March 2004 Véronique de Keyser, MEP presented the report on human rights in the world, which also includes issues related to SRHR, the EP Committee on Foreign Affairs. The report was adopted at the plenary session.
2. ABOUT TRENDS SRHR in CEE COUNTRIES
[CEE include the New Member States of the European Union received in 2003 and 2007, neighboring countries and the former Soviet Union]
2.1 General overview
SRHR includes a variety of health issues and rights related to sexuality and reproduction. They include sexuality education, abortion, family planning, STIs including HIV / AIDS, assisted reproduction, LGBT rights, the rights of adolescents and sexual and reproductive health information and services free of discrimination, trade-in-persons, violence against women . Due to time limits I will focus on access to sexuality education planning, abortion and family.
For the last almost 20 years, about SRHR negative trend can be observed in many countries in the CEE region. It should be recognized that while international standards, commitments and agreements have made great achievements and progress in the 90s, in the CEE region significant reaction has occurred. As a result, the gap between CEE countries and the countries of "old" European Union, these issues, develop.
Historically, before the political and economic transformation of the region that began with the Solidarity trade union resistance in Poland, followed by the collapse of the Berlin Wall, an abortion-an important component of SRHR, has legal and freely accessible throughout the region since the late 1950s, with the exception of Romania and Albania.
Since the 1990s, while Romania and strict abortion laws have been liberalized Albania, in many countries in the region, abortion and other SRHR has increasingly become a hot political issue, influenced by the increasing political role of religious institutions, especially the Roman Catholic Church . Similarly, access to contraception and sexuality education has also been politicized, controversial and / or persistently ignored by policy makers sought to avoid what is considered a controversial issue.
Increasingly public discourse has been shaped by religious fundamentalist approach. This approach is dominant in many sectors, including politics, the media, in health and education. International standards and agreements on the protection and promotion of SRHR and gender equality have very little impact on law and policy in the CEE region.
Political controversy surrounding reproductive rights has been and continues to have a chilling effect on access to modern reproductive technology even if the law is not strictly a constraint. For this reason, access to emergency contraception or medical abortion has been severely restricted in the region.
2.2. General characteristics
Countries of CEE share common characteristics that lead to inadequate policy in the area of SRHR.
Protagonist
- Very weak civil society, including women's movement, unable to breach efficiently counteract the power of religious conservatives and strong and heavily funded;
On the other hand, religious institutions have been given a special role and can not be justified as a political actor.
- Left hand, a weak, inefficient, and struggling with their communist heritage, easily compromise women's rights for political gain.
- Anti-choice movement actors increasingly more visible and institutionally supported by the Church to build a strong financial, capacity and conceptual support of the U.S. anti-choice movement. Many anti-choice strategy used in the CEE is based on strategies that have been used and is being used in the United States. With U.S. offices, NGOs, Human Life International has opened a regional office in Poland.
Conceptual issues
From a non-issue into a controversial issue
In communism, abortion is not an issue of public debate, it is practiced but not discussed. In contrast to Western societies where women have to fight for their RR in the 60s and 70s, people in CEE do not need to defend these rights, they do not develop an argument and pro-choice movement around the issue. In part, because of this, they have become extremely vulnerable to anti-choice rhetoric.
SRHR - no matter equality
SRHR - are not regarded as issues of gender equality, women's decision making and autonomy. Rhetoric provided by anti-choice movement and supported at the political level by many governments in CEE, see SRHR as issues concerning fetal protection of any rights of women may have during pregnancy and beyond. In this rhetoric of a woman is considered only a carrier of the fetus, their rights are secondary to it.
Reproductive health as a health issue is also being put into question in several places. For example, former Minister of Health in Poland asked if he would promote contraception, stating that as "sex is not a disease no need for the Department of Health to address this issue".
Regional political context
Sharing the anti-choice strategy region-wide
Anti-selection strategies that are being exchanged region-wide. Poland, due to restrictive laws and policies, is seen as a model for anti-choice movement in other countries, especially in Slovakia and Lithuania, which had been various attempts to ban abortion, and to limit contraception and comprehensive sexuality education.
Increasing conservatism among professionals
Health and legal professionals become more and more conservative. Leading lawyers initiate or engage in debates on SRHR often represent the anti-choice position. Health professionals are increasingly using the conscience clause to avoid providing abortion services or contraception. This phenomenon seems to be the result of the strong impact of religion on the strength of the professionals. There has formed a professional association of Catholic doctors, lawyers and pharmacists in some countries, which seeks to restrict women's access to SRH services, including in Poland.
Demographic argument
Demographic concerns, especially very low birth rate in this region in some countries, sparking calls for restrictive measures on access to abortion or contraception, and the results of others in the lack of supporting SRHR return policy. Initiatives to limit the SRHR is often justified by the low birth. Politicians seem to believe against all scientific evidence that restrict abortion and / or contraception will result in the birth rate increases, though, the example of Poland, shows otherwise. In Poland the number of births declined from 494,310 (1993 - years when abortion should be criminalized)) to 351 072 (2003).
3. ACCESS TO REGION-WIDE SRHR
Sexuality Education
Comprehensive sexuality education that provides young people with accurate information and unbiased is still lacking in the CEE region. In some countries, it is part of another program, such as biology or anatomy. However, when sexuality education available in schools, the curriculum often does not give sufficient attention to information on all aspects of sexuality, contraception, sexually transmitted diseases including HIV / AIDS, and does not provide young people with decision-making skills related to their sexual life and reproduction and do not support gender equality. In fact, in some of the curriculum is primarily represented the ideal woman as a housewife and mother.
Sexual education in Armenia is really absent from school. In Lithuania and Slovakia lesson in sexual education classes conducted in several biology, religion or ethics.
Lack of comprehensive sexual education and limited access to effective family planning services which led to high rates of teenage pregnancy in this region and to the higher number of STIs. In most Western European countries and some CEE countries, especially Croatia and Slovenia teenage pregnancy rate is between 13 and 25 per 1,000 women aged 15-19 years. In other countries of CEE and NIS countries is 2-4 times the price higher, in Ukraine even more than 100 per 1000 women. The unavailability of accurate sexuality education and comprehensive also increase the risk of HIV infection / AIDS among adolescents. Adolescent HIV / AIDS rate is the fastest growth rate in the region.
Contraception
Prevalence of modern contraceptive methods in CEE was 36% compared with 71% prevalence rate in the countries of Western Europe. Modern contraception, in particular hormonal contraception, remains inaccessible to most residents because of high costs. In some states the annual cost of contraception is higher than abortion (Russia, Armenia). In addition, health care providers often have misconceptions about modern contraceptive methods and thus provide incorrect information to either the patient or reluctant to discuss contraception with their choices. Often this is related to personal religious views of health care providers or pharmacists.
Lack of access to accurate information and financial means to access the appropriate contraception has led to high rates of unwanted pregnancies and unplanned which result in abortion, many are performed in unsafe conditions that threaten the lives and health of women. In Russia, Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia woman does not have the means to prevent unwanted pregnancies and thus, the rate of unwanted pregnancies is very high in abortion became the primary method of fertility control. In Eastern Europe 63% of the 11 million pregnancies that occur each year are unplanned.
Abortion
Although in theory abortion is available on request during the first trimester in CEE countries, with the exception of Poland, there are various restrictions in law and in practice, which makes abortion services are not accessible and that encourage women to undergo illegal and thus, abortion unsafe, putting their health and lives at risk. In addition, the anti-choice and Catholic churches and Orthodox continue their efforts aimed at making abortion less accessible to women demonizing and who seek to use their rights. In Hungary since 2000, a woman seeking an abortion affected by biased counseling requirements and abortion services are not covered by health insurance, except on medical indications or criminal. In Slovakia and Lithuania women face increasing problems in finding a doctor who would perform an abortion because the practice is not regulated conscience In Latvia women seeking abortions should be exposed to anti-choice bias brochures aimed at discouraging them from undergoing legal abortion services.
Furthermore, despite the fact that in countries most areas of abortion is legally available, lack of access to safe, legal abortion has forced women to undergo unsafe abortions, illegal conditions which often cause serious health problems or even death. Despite the fact that the maternal mortality rate in CEE has declined from around 40-50 per 100,000 live births before the 1990-15 per 100,000 live births after 1990, it was still much higher than in Western Europe. In France, for example, the number of maternal deaths is 6.45 per 100 000 live births, in Finland 5.4, 9.9 in the Netherlands and in Sweden 3.28. Unsafe abortion remains one of the main causes of high maternal mortality rate that the CEE region.
Denying women access to safe and legal abortion places their health and lives at risk and prohibit them from achieving autonomy and physical integrity. Such practices violate women's right to life, liberty and security, right to privacy, and the result of discrimination against women.
4. COUNTRY SITUATION
Poland
SRHR are permanently on the agenda of conservative politics and fundamentalist religion. In early 2000 there has been a constant effort to further restrict the legislation of anti-abortion currently effective since 1993, which allows for an abortion for medical reasons, criminal and genetics.
In the last two years two major efforts have been made. In 2006 / 7 League of Polish Families, an organization of anti-choice, anti-woman, trying to introduce a complete ban on abortion by changing the Constitution of Poland. They propose to introduce the protection of life from the moment of conception. This effort ultimately failed in the final vote, but conservatives have a majority of normal voice. They just did not work to collect 2 / 3 vote required to change the Constitution.
Polish Ombudsman for Human Rights is currently considering a complaint to the Constitutional Court of Poland against anti-abortion law section allows for therapeutic abortion on the grounds. He wrote this article because of a lack of precision is not constitutional. The aim is to restrict access to abortion based on health reasons. This initiative is being considered on the eve of 15th anniversary of the introduction of these laws restrict anti-abortion that was passed by the Polish Parliament on January 7, 1993. Finally, the Ombudsman decided to make a complaint but strong lobbying from conservative lawyer immediately come up with other similar initiatives.
His initiative to restrict access to legal abortion is undoubtly is based on the final decision of the European Court for Human Rights (ECHR) in the case of Alicja Tysiacha. According to this decision was the refusal of access to legal abortion for medical reasons is a breech of his right to privacy under the European Convention on Human Rights. This is very disturbing side effect of the victory of Polish women in the Court of Strasbourg. This leads to the sad conclusion that the recommendations of the ECHR to introduce legal measures that create a legal abortion accessible to women in reality may not be implemented by the Polish decision-makers. On the contrary, the European Court's decision is being manipulated to support legal initiatives that will lead to further restrictions.
The latest report from the Polish Federation for Women and Family Planning confirmed that the anti-abortion law that de jure allows for abortion for medical reasons, criminal and genetics, in practice it is much more stringent. Abortion is almost inaccessible because of a very strict interpretation of the law.
As for sexuality education, government programs greatly influenced by the teachings of the Catholic, heavily biased and scientifically inaccurate in its many aspects.
Teenagers in Poland to receive information about sexual and reproductive life in a course called "education for family life". Curricula and school books much text is affected by the doctrine of the Catholic Church concerning human sexuality and focus, for example in promoting the "natural method" of contraception ignores reality and adolescents need information to protect themselves from unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections, like HIV / AIDS , and developing relationships based on gender equality and respect.
There is no state policy promoting modern forms of contraception. On the other hand, the government introduced a program ex-promoting natural family planning.
Croatia
20 years ago in Croatia 50 000 women have legal abortions. Recent statistics show that the number fell to 4500 per year. In 1989 55 000 children born, now 42 000.
Abortion is legal in Croatia to 12 weeks into pregnancy. This law is binding since 1978. Only 33 public hospitals have the right to an abortion. It is illegal in private clinics.
Croatian bishops are still attractive to ban abortion. They even sent an appeal to the hierarchs of other churches (and orthodox Muslim) ask for their support.
15 years ago women were not afraid to admit that they have an abortion. Currently, they feel shame and fear of stigmatization. Abortion is considered a sin. On the other hand, everyone knows that the private life of an abortion clinic illegal and that the business is active and actually beneficial.
Some women, who do not want to be recognized, travel to other cities and even to Slovenia. In the Balkan Peninsula a similar situation only in Kosovo.
Symbols policy is 25 Kuna coins (about 3 Euros) with the image of the fetus by the umbilical cord clearly visible.
Lithuania
Lithuania is a permanent battleground SRHR as far as is concerned. At the end of last year, 2007, the Lithuanian Parliament a group of conservative lawmakers proposed a new draft legislation aimed at severely restricting abortion in Lithuania. It is an initiative of the Polish minority political parties. This is the third time when the same group is trying to ban abortion. This time Parliament decided to discuss the law. Discussion and voting on this draft is planned for spring 2008 session. This bill is based on Polish law is limited. It prohibits abortion except in cases when the pregnancy endangers the health or woman's life or is the result of illegal actions.
Pro-choice associations are always being attacked by their opponents in the media.
In Lithuania there is a conservative organization. In addition, the Polish (Akcja Wyborcza na Polaków Litwie) who proposed the action is gaining popularity and receive more votes in the election latest Lithuania.
Slovakia
Positive developments in Slovakia. On May 19, 2001 the Christian Democrats filed a complaint to the Constitutional Court that the current abortion law since 1986 is unconstitutional and contrary to article 15 the Slovak Constitution which says that "everyone has the right to life" and that "human life worthy of protection even before birth" . On 4 th December 2007 after six years of deliberations of the Constitutional Court issued a ruling which states that every woman has the right to abortion during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. At the same time the Court requested that the right to have legal abortions because of malformation of the fetus until the 24th week of pregnancy clarified in the law. This decision, very similar to the decision of the European Court of Human Rights in Poland, is being manipulated by conservative political parties to restrict women's access to abortion and to introduce legislation calling for biased counseling, waiting periods and parental consent requirements for adolescents strong.
Russia
Abortion is the primary method of fertility in Russia. About 60% of pregnancies end in abortion, placing second behind Romania Russia for the country with the most per capita abortion. Limited availability of contraception and abortion are relatively low cost to account for this high level of contraception. Russian law legalize abortion during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy upon request. It allows abortion at later stages only to save the life of a woman, to keep the mental or physical health, to social
reason, or if the fetus is impaired. Teens under 15 years old must have parental consent to get an abortion.
Despite the high abortion rate in Russia, broad access to safe abortion is not the reality. Unsafe abortion is a major cause of maternal death, and the government has not worked to ensure that all abortions performed under medical care and sanitary conditions. Furthermore, the right to abortion is currently threatened. A 2003 decree allowed limited social reasons for abortion between 12 and 22 weeks of gestation of 12 for four reasons. These reasons are: 1) the court's decision to revoke or restrict the rights of the elderly person, 2) pregnancy due to rape; 3) detention in a detention center, and 4) severe disability or death of her husband during pregnancy. This decision to limit women's ability to secure safe abortion. In particular, ill vulnerable populations such as adolescents who tend to wait until after 12 weeks of pregnancy to seek medical help.
5. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
Prepare a report on current situation re SRHR in Europe with policy recommendations and programs;
Explicit support for SRHR as gender equality issues to be addressed by the EU institutions;
Encourage member states and neighboring countries to base their SRHR policies, laws and programs on gender equality principles and scientific evidence, not on religious ideology;
Encourage the European Commission to strengthen the initiative on SRHR within equality policy of the European Union;
Encourages the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights and the European Union Institute for Gender Equality to include SRHR issues as within their mandate
