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Denmark to relax abortion restrictions

Danish women between 15 and 17 years old will now be able to terminate their pregnancies without the knowledge of their parents.

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Wikimedia Commons

Published by
Rosana Rábago Sainz

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Political parties in Denmark reached an agreement Friday that will make access to abortion even easier in the country. The Danish Ministry of Health announced that it will extend the legal deadline for terminate a pregnancy from 12 to 18 weeks and also allow Danish women between 15 and 17 years old to get an abortion in any medical center in the country without the knowledge of their parents or legal guardians.

The bill, passed after the government reached an agreement with four other parties (the Popular Socialist Party, the Red-Green Alliance, the Danish Social Liberal Party and The Alternative), will loosen abortion restrictions for the first time in 50 years, according to Danish Minister of the Interior and Health Sophie Lødhe in a statement:

After 50 years, it is time for abortion regulations to stay up to date and we are now strengthening women's right to self-determination. From a health point of view, there is no evidence for the current week limit, nor is there anything to suggest that there will be significantly more or later abortions by changing the week limit. In Sweden there has been an 18-week limit since 1996, and this has not led to an increase in abortions or changed the timing of abortions. And with the agreements we guarantee that there will still be a considerable distance until the moment of pregnancy in which the fetus can be viable.

Denmark has allowed abortion since 1973

According to AFP, voluntary termination of pregnancy up to 12 weeks of gestation has been legal in Denmark since 1973. However, the Ethics Council recommended at the end of last year to adopt the deadlines that had already been implemented in Sweden and extend that time from 12 to 18 weeks. The decision was celebrated by Danish Medical Association President Camilla Rathke in statements to the Ritzau news agency. "From now on, women will have the time and the right to think about what to do," Rathke said.

Another controversial point discussed in the statement was the decision to allow minors between 15 and 17 years of age to have abortions without the knowledge and consent of their parents or legal guardians. This decision, as explained by Minister of Digitalization and Gender Equality Marie Bjerre, was made since "it must be the young woman's decision if she wants to be a mother":

We are now lowering the age limit so that free abortion fits the legal age of sexual intercourse. Choosing whether to have an abortion is a difficult situation and I hope that young women can find support from their parents. But if there is disagreement, it must ultimately be the young woman's decision if she wants to be a mother. It is your body and your life.

The bill must still go through Parliament, where despite being opposed by right-wing parties, it is expected to pass. If approved, the new law will come into force on June 1, 2025.

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