Abortions no longer performed in private clinics in Russian-occupied Crimea

Private clinics in Russian-occupied Crimea "have voluntarily refused" to provide abortion. Clinics have announced such a decision after the corresponding "proposal" by the Russian Ministry of Health in occupied Crimea. By doing this, they want to "improve the demographic situation".

Source: Konstantin Skorupsky, Head of Russian Ministry of Health in occupied Crimea

Details: Abortions will be performed exclusively in state hospitals from now on.

This decision was preceded by a "round table" with Russian officials and collaborators from the temporarily occupied territories, where supposedly the experience of countries in which private hospitals "voluntarily refused" to perform abortions was reviewed.

Quote: "The private clinics’ heads were asked to contribute to the demographic situation improvement by refusing to perform abortions. The colleagues positively evaluated this initiative, and today all private clinics in Crimea have officially informed the Crimean Ministry of Health of their voluntary refusal to provide abortion services," Skorupsky noted.

He claims that in a state hospital, a woman will be able to make an "informed and considered decision to maintain or terminate a pregnancy". In such institutions, medical professionals "will talk about current measures of social support for families with children, as well as provide psychological counselling to expectant mothers".

"In all prenatal care institutions in Crimea, patients who come to a gynaecologist for an abortion are sent to psychological pre-abortion counselling. Specialists help the woman understand herself and the reasons for her decision, and inform her about possible support measures from the state," the "minister" said.

According to Skorupsk’s data, over 1,000 women underwent pre-abortion medical and psychological counselling in Crimea in 2023, including 21.1% who decided to keep the child. During the same period in 2022, there were allegedly half as many, only 10.1%.

Medical abortion is also becoming less accessible in Crimea, as needed drugs have been added to the list of controlled drugs that are sold only with a prescription.

Background: In 2022, the US Supreme Court overturned a 50-year-old decision on the right to abortion. Discussions around this issue are ongoing.

Support UP or become our patron!