Italy

• 1978: abortion is allowed (Law No. 194 dated 22 May)
• 2020: Voluntary Termination of Pregnancy among activities considered non-deferrable (Ministerial circular)
• 2020: The Council of Health expressed a favorable opinion regarding recourse to voluntary termination of pregnancy by pharmacological method up to 63 days’ or 9 complete weeks’ gestation

Source: https://www.salute.gov.it/imgs/C_17_pubblicazioni_3039_allegato.pdf

* Although the law does not specifically contain such a provision, it is interpreted as allowing abortion on request (the woman herself attests that she is in one of the situations described by the law on abortion)

Source: Law No. 194 dated 22 May 1978 (English) (http://www.columbia.edu/itc/history/degrazia/courseworks/legge_194.pdf)

Legal conditions

• Written consent by the woman
• Pre-abortion consultation (legal counselling) only for minor without parental agreement
• Pre-abortion confirmation consultation (only medical)
• Mandatory 7-day period between pre-abortion consultation and abortion procedure unless abortion is urgently required

Specific conditions for minors

• Parent’s (or guardian’s) consent required for minors under 18. However, in a case where the parents deny such permisssion, or when the direct parent consultation is deemed unfeasible, the abortion procedure can be authorized by the juvenile judge. Urgent procedures exempt the woman from obtaining either the parental or the judicial consent. If the minor is in the second trimester of pregnancy the limits set for this gestational age also apply.

Source:

• Law No. 194 dated 22 May 1978 (Italian) (http://www.salute.gov.it/imgs/C_17_normativa_845_allegato.pdf)
• Law No. 194 dated 22 May 1978 (English) (http://www.columbia.edu/itc/history/degrazia/courseworks/legge_194.pdf)

Source: http://www.quotidianosanita.it/allegati/allegato228648.pdf

Mandatory pre-abortion examinations

• None.

Involved healthcare professionals

• Surgical abortion: obstetrician/gynaecologist (OB/GYN) or another physician.
• Medical abortion: OB/GYN or another physician.

Source:

• Law No. 194 dated 22 May 1978 (Italian) (http://www.salute.gov.it/imgs/C_17_normativa_845_allegato.pdf)
• Law No. 194 dated 22 May 1978 (English) (http://www.columbia.edu/itc/history/degrazia/courseworks/legge_194.pdf)

Source: https://www.salute.gov.it/portale/news/p3_2_1_1_1.jsp?lingua=italiano&menu=notizie&p=dalministero&id=6359

In 2021, among women who had induced abortion:

• 98.5% lived in Italy
• 24.1% had at least 1 previous induced abortion
• 59.8% had at least 1 child.

Source:

• https://www.salute.gov.it/portale/news/p3_2_1_1_1.jsp?lingua=italiano&menu=notizie&p=dalministero&id=6359

Source: https://www.istat.it/it/files//2022/04/Demographic-indicators_year_2021.pdf

Women age at first birth

• Over 31 years of age (2021)

Overall contraception data

57% of women aged 18-54 used a contraceptive method (2013):

• 24% of women aged 15-54 used oral contraceptive
• 4% of women aged 15-54 used intra-uterine device (IUD).

Source:

• https://www.salute.gov.it/portale/donna/dettaglioNotizieDonna.jsp?lingua=italiano&menu=notizie&p=dalministero&id=6025
• Istituto Nazionale di Statistica (https://www.istat.it/it/files/2015/12/come-cambia-la-vita-delle-donne.pdf)
• https://www.documentazione.info/il-testo-della-legge-194-sullaborto-0

Source:

• Law No. 194 dated 22 May 1978 (Italian) (http://www.salute.gov.it/imgs/C_17_normativa_845_allegato.pdf)
• Law No. 194 dated 22 May 1978 (English) (http://www.columbia.edu/itc/history/degrazia/courseworks/legge_194.pdf)