Abortion in the Republic of
Moldova (as part of the USSR) was legalized in 1955. From the 1960s to the
1990s abortion had the status of an essential method of birth control. The
share of interrupted pregnancies among women aged 15-19 years (based on official
statistics) has been more or less constant over the last 10 years, representing
10 percent of the total number of abortions among women of reproductive age
(data from the Ministry of Health and the National Health Management Center).
This phenomenon was tolerated because of a lack of access to modern methods of
contraception and a low level of family planning knowledge among the
population. Official statistics do not offer any data regarding the number of
cases of complications resulting from unsafe abortions and the number of
hospitalizations caused by unsafe abortions (per 1,000 women) and, in fact even
today categories of safe and unsafe abortions are not employed. Even the
existing legislative and normative acts do not include the categories of safe
and unsafe abortion (with the exception of the National Strategy for
Reproductive Health).
The phenomenon of unregistered abortions
persists in the country. it is thought that the reason for not registering
abortions is that these represent a source of income for the providers of
pregnancy interruption services (Strategic Evaluation of Aspects of Policy,
Quality and Access to Contraception and Abortion Services in the Republic of
Moldova, Chisinau, 2006). Another reason is the low level of confidentiality of
medical services in Moldova that is extended also to the abortion procedure. in
order to avoid potential disclosure women are tended to offer informal payments
in order not to have the procedure registered even if it is being done in the
hospital according to all the respective medical protocols. Even though the
legislation on abortions in the Republic of Moldova is one of the most liberal
in the world, for reason of social, economic and educational nature the
phenomenon of illegal abortions persists. The proportion of illegal abortions
represents 0.1 percent of the total number (data from the Ministry of Health,
the National Health Management Center). it is also worth mentioning that no
studies have been conducted regarding reproductive health service providers'
degree of knowledge and correct understanding of the legal status of abortion.
Teenage women under 18 years cannot receive abortion services confidentially.
Currently, the consent of parents or of a close relative is still a mandatory
part of the process. This situation sometimes forces them to make unofficial
payments, at times fairly substantial ones. On other occasions these women seek
illegal abortions. Pregnancy in the case of teenage women represents a serious
public health problem and it often occurs because of teenagers' lack of
information about the methods of contraception and the availability of
contraception free of charge or for a reduced price. Pregnancy in the case of
teenage women in most cases is ended by abortion which is often not carried out
in safe conditions, thus putting at risk their health and sometimes even their
lives. As far as the age at which teenage woman may decide independently on
terminating the pregnancy (without parental consent), there are no unanimous opinions.
The current legislation establishes this age at 18 years.
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