Women....Welcome to Poland --The Effects of the Anti-Abortion Law

[Gloria]

Study done just three years after the Polish act of 1993....notice how many doctors have to APPROVE and or EXAMINE a woman who's life may be in danger. I recall the story told by a friend whose wife contracted German measles..the indigity of having to go before a panel of doctors who decided whether she could have an abortion....yes, this was AMERICA prior to 1973....

I submit that Democrats should toughen up the language as of NOW...forget the values crap, let's get down to reality.

Dear American Women: The REPUBLICAN PARTY does not believe in the safety of American women nor their ability to make independent decisions. You will now be subject to the same conditions that the US exerts on women in THIRD WORLD COUNTRIES. If you are lucky,you live in a state where abortion will remain legal, AT LEAST FOR AWHILE. If you are unlucky you live in a state where you may be forced to undergo a "back alley" abortion UNLESS you have the money to travel to a safe state for a safe abortion.

If you are compelled to seek an illegal abortion, prepare your partner and children for the possibility that you may be maimed for life or may not survive. The much-touted Republican "concern" for family values does not apply to you.



http://www.federa.org.pl/english/report96/rap96_1.htm

THE EFFECTS OF THE ANTI-ABORTION LAW
IN FORCE IN POLAND SINCE MARCH - 16 - 1993

REPORT No 2
February 1996


Present accessibility of abortion in Poland

The law on family planning, human embryo protection and conditions of legal abortion, commonly known as anti-abortion law, has been in force in Poland since March 1993. According to the law abortion is legal in the following cases only:

1. when pregnancy constitutes a threat to life or a serious threat to the health of the mother, which is confirmed by two doctors other than the doctor involved in the abortion,
2. prenatal examination, confirmed by two doctors other than the doctor involved in the abortion indicate heavy, irreversible damage of the embryo,
3. there is justified suspicion, confirmed by a prosecutor, that the pregnancy is a result of an illegal act.

The doctor who performs illegal abortion is subject to the punishment of up to two years of prison.
Any abortion must be performed in a public hospital.



SNIP

The effects of anti-abortion act

The introduction of the anti-abortion act immediately produced the effects that were easy to predict. Those effects were described in the first report by the Federation for Women and Family Planning prepared in May 1994(1).

Facts that were observed in 1994 still exist today.

Women in difficult personal situation seek the termination of unwanted pregnancy at all costs, regardless of the fact that they break the law, often risking their health or life.



Illegal abortions

The anti-abortion law is not observed and, moreover, it results in various abnormal phenomena. One of them is the existence of illegal abortions performed by means of "abortion underground" and "abortion tourism".



Abortion underground

The underground abortion services are highly developed. This is evident from:

* Abundant advertisements of individual doctors and cooperatives that for the last two years have regularly been placed in both national and local press: "Gynaecological services - full range". Recently new advertisements can be found like: "Gynaecologist - everything (the cheapest)" or "Gynaecologists - absolutely everything" etc.

Permanent and regular appearance of those announcements and their growing number constitute an indirect proof of an existing and growing demand for this type of services.
* Testimonies of many women given to the Federation or published in mass media. Women who have used or wanted to use those services are a source of information on their average prices. It is estimated that the average price for an abortion is 400 USD(2). Some doctors, however, and particularly some doctors' cooperatives collect much more: 600 USD - 800 USD. In Warsaw prices are much higher than anywhere else in Poland.

It seems that abortion services are performed mainly in big cities; in smaller ones the doctors are too scared of getting caught. They decide to do abortion on women whom they know or who have been sent to them by their acquaintances and their decision is often spurred by humanitarian reasons and not only financial interests.
* The existence of underground abortion services is also confirmed by some doctors. An example is a statement of an anonymous doctor who said, answering in a poll conducted by Polish most popular daily Gazeta Wyborcza(3): "I have been performing abortions for a year. In our cooperative there are only two doctors who do it, the rest are scared. But you cannot send away a despairing woman. This is how I understand the Hippocratic Oath. Underground abortions? They flourish - and not due to old women, who use crochet hook and herbal brew. Polish underground abortions are performed in sterile conditions and by people wearing white uniforms."

* The presence of abortion underground is also confirmed by the government report that informed about several dozen investigations and legal cases initiated in reference to these services.



Abortion tourism

Abortion tourism is also highly developed.
Most women go to Poland's East and South neighbouring countries, e.g. to Lvov (Ukraine), Druskienniki (Lithuania), Kaliningrad (Russia), Minsk (Bielorus), to Czech Republic and Slovakia. Polish media repeatedly informed about abortion trips to Kaliningrad 4). The cost of abortion there is comparatively low (200 USD), but the sanitary conditions are bad and women often suffer medical complications.
Much fewer women can afford to seek abortion in Western countries. The abortions performed there are much more expensive but the medical services are of much better quality. Polish women most frequently go to Holland, Germany, Belgium and Austria. In one of the Berlin clinics of family planning we were told that their centre is visited by 15 Polish women a week. The price depends on how advanced the pregnancy is and on the type of anaesthesia (from 400 through 1,300 USD).

The Federation possesses the materials provided by an anonymous agency which was organising abortion trips to one of Polish southern neighbours. The agency started its service "immediately after the Code of Medical Ethics 5) came into force. It was that early that Polish doctors were threatened and refused to perform abortions. Before the anti-abortion law came into force we performed circa 20 abortions. After the anti-abortion law came into force for 2 or 3 months the doctors were so scared that they refused to do any abortions. (...) The greatest demand for our services existed in 1993, in the first 3 months after the law came into force. At that time in one of the neighbouring countries we could use the services of 2 private doctor's surgeries, one private clinic, 2 state hospitals, 6 gynaecologists, 3 anaesthesiologists and several nurses and we facilitated about 220-250 abortions. Later in 1993 we helped perform on average 60-70 abortions a month. In 1994 we facilitated on average 40-50 abortions a month. In this period we facilitated in total 1200 abortions. The demand for these services is seasonal, most are performed in spring and autumn."

MORE



The existence of abortion tourism has brought about the following legal proceedings so far:

[texastoast]

1. Fuck 'em

I'm glad I know herbs. And it is too damned bad that more women don't learn about them and take control of their own bodies. Just flat fuck 'em.

[Gloria]

3. I agree. Screw the law, time to go around it.. I would love to know

about the proper herbs since I don't think I can physically learn the procedure that NOW had ready years ago (with common items for purchases).

I also have a "vision" of what some of these large women's groups should do: take donated money and used them to transport women.

I say divide the country into about 7 or 8 sections, in a way that there is at least one "safe state" in traveling distance from within a section. Then funnel money into info and travel expenses and doctors fees and physically transport every needy woman to the places available in that section of the country. Bus travel is quick and cheap....for example, Greyhound has rates depending on miles....from El Paso to Newark, NJ is about $90 one way and took a quick 48 hours (sleeping was no problem and it wasn't tiring at all).

WTF?? Why the hell not???? Shit, we do Chihuahua Rescue and transport... we can't do this for women???

[selmo7]

8. There are antiabortifacant herbs

that Native American women used to induce menses.

Can't remember what they are right now - not all are foolproof and there are some dangers as I recall - some months when I researched them, but I agree with you - these HERBS should be widely promoted.

You don't know how ANGRY I feel right now about all this - especially thinking the redneckny mafia who are most likely chomping at the bit at all the $$$ to made in underground, blood money, coat hangar, trailer park clinics.

[Pathwalker]

9. Try Google. sisterzeus and black rose are

a place to start looking, as they have the answer to your question.

There used to be a site called the Abortionist's Garden, but I don't know if it's still there.

[texastoast]

12. I like your vision

And, indeed, if we can do it for dogs, why not women?

:banghead:

I can't believe I'm having this conversation.

[ret5hd]

2. If abortion is made illegal in this country...

to keep the rich from being "abortion tourists", we should do this:

1)every woman leaving the country would have to undergo a pregnancy test.
2) every woman with a positive test would be required to take another test on re-entry
3) every woman that had a positive test when leaving, a negative test when entering, and does not have a newborn child with them should be charged.

i know i know...don't jump on me. It is totally ridiculous, unworkable, degrading, and cruel. But what to do about the rich?

[Gloria]

4. See post #3

[Gormy Cuss]

5. Rich women won't be the abortion tourists.

They knew which doctors would perform abortions on the QT. They'll develop the same sort of network again.

[texastoast]

11. Yep. N/T

[seabeyond]

6. i know you are talking abortion; strip search of ten yr old girl.....

though is the sick of the repug party. this goes along with the issue and abuse of our women by repugs but further, an example of their lack of value to female is strip search of a ten yr old little girl. oh she wasnt required to be naked, just had her take off blouse. and in underwear. well she took off more than blouse if she was just in underwear and how sick we are as a society if women are not disgusted, and if any male will look the other way on this. i am sicken by this. i just cannot get this out of my mind

[tnlefty]

13. I'm with you on this one.

And Scalito didn't find it to be any offense, and that folks don't seem disturbed. Rep. Wasserman Swartz(sp?) covered this well IMO. I couldn't imagine that being done to one of my kids.

[fasttense]

7. There was a book out

before abortions became legal. It told how some drugs could cause abortions, and how to get an illegal abortion. You know men can outlaw it, but they can't stop it. Women have been getting abortions since before Jesus was born. It will continue no matter who the Supremes dance to.

The internet should make getting illegal abortion information out a whole lot easier. I'm passed the "pregnancy" stage so I guess men don't care to control my body. What a relief. But I have a daughter and if she needs one, I will help her no matter how the Supremes and the religiously insane dance.

[texastoast]

10. Absolutely

However, I do believe that the "right-to-life-but-the-death-penalty-is-okay" group will endeavor to shut down any communication that advocates choice. And I, like you, don't have to worry about this anymore personally.

What we need to do now is to get young women up to speed. So many of them have not lived without "equal" rights, and have a strong sense of an entitlement that is truly precarious.

I feel blessed that I have one niece who is aware enough and interested enough to want to learn the old ways. I wish I knew more.