Hurdles for unwanted pregnant women: Anna-Lena's fight in Schleswig-Holstein

Hurdles for unwanted pregnant women: Anna-Lena's fight in Schleswig-Holstein

When she found out about her pregnancy, she already had three children and quickly knew that she didn't want any more. However, the path to a demolition of pregnancy was extremely complex. Waterböhr describes that she first wanted to find out more from her gynecologist, but only received an appointment after seven weeks - which would have been too late for the timely intervention.

The difficult legal framework

In Germany, abortions are fundamentally illegal, regulated by paragraph 218 of the Criminal Code, which is only considered punitive under certain conditions. One of these conditions is a legally required consultation, which must be used by unwanted pregnant women. After this consultation, a thinking period of three days follows, which can be a great mental burden for many women. Waterböhr experienced strong pregnancy symptoms during this time. The physical and psychological pressure that the thinking period brings with it is often hardly to be endured.

Another problem is the lack of transparent information. Many doctors hide the fact that they carry out abortions, for fear of hostility. As a result, those affected often only learn about personal contacts where they can find help, which makes the already stressful search process even more difficult.

medical care: bottlenecks threaten

Currently, 77 practices and clinics offer abortions in Schleswig-Holstein. According to an ELSA study, the general supply landscape is described as comparatively well, but there are also critical voices here. Associations such as Pro Familia demand to integrate pregnancy abortions into medical training in order to improve the offer. In view of the impending retirement of a third of the gynecologists, the offer could become even scarce in the future.

The availability of drug breakdowns could be relieved. This was initiated by the use of e-learning, which enables medical specialists to continue training without additional approval. However, this measure was perceived as controversial because Scharrel, which has been intensively campaigned for these changes, was accused of doing a kind of advertising for abortions.

political discussion about the legal situation

The discussion about paragraph 218 has been going on for years and has recently taken away speed in the past. In April 2023, an expert commission recommended that this paragraph be deleted, but a final decision is still pending. Even if this happens, it remains unclear how access to safe abortions can be secured, especially in rural areas in which the number of practices has dropped considerably in the past twenty years.

For Anna-Lena Waterböhr, the demolition was the right decision, even if the way there was stony. With her open handling, she would like to draw attention to the existing problems and counteract the stigmatization of women who are in similar situations. In Kiel, numerous people are already committed to creating safe and accessible abortion options, which shows that the topic is in the public interest.

The challenge remains that pregnant women not only need access to information and medical support, but is also necessary to sensitize society to reduce stigmatization and fears. Despite the existing hurdles, it remains important that affected women find their way and, if necessary, receive support from experts and communities.