Legal conditions

• Written consent by the woman
• Health personnel are obliged to offer counselling on contraception but the women can deny it.

Specific conditions for minors

• Parent’s (or guardian’s) consent required for minors under 16.

Mandatory pre-abortion examinations

None.

Involved healthcare professionals

• Surgical abortion: obstetrician/gynaecologist (OB/GYN) or another physician
• Medical abortion: OB/GYN, another physician, nurse or midwife under physician supervision

Abortion ratio

• 234 abortions per 1,000 live births (2015).

Abortions “on request”

• 96% of abortions were performed “on request” in 2016.

Among women who had induced abortion:

– 36% had at least 1 previous induced abortion in 2007-2011
– 50% had at least 1 child in 2007-2010.

Women age at first birth

• 29 years of age (2015).

Overall contraception data

• Contraceptive prevalence rate was 136/1,000 women aged 15-39 in 2016 (excluding intra-uterine device (IUD) and contraceptive vaginal ring); oral contraceptive prevalence rate was 118/1,000.

Pre-abortion contraception

• 19% of women who had abortion had a contraceptive method before abortion procedure (2007-2011).

Contraception during abortion process

• Long-Acting Reversible Contraception (LARC) can be placed in abortion facilities:

– IUD are placed from 7 days after abortion
– Implants are placed on the day of abortion or later.

Abortion is taught during health care professionals’ (HCPs’) medical studies.

• All HCPs have the right to conscientiously object; they can avoid participating in the operation itself, but cannot refuse to help in pre- and post-operation care.
• Both surgical and medical abortions are free of charge for resident women. Non-resident women have to pay between 260 € (medical) and 900 – 1,000 € (surgical) unless they are registered citizens or they applied for asylum.