Activists continue to fight for legalization

Laura (name changed) was 21 years old and was still at the beginning of her studies when she held the positive pregnancy test in her hands. At first she only told her mother, too great the fear of conviction was too great. Laura led her first gear to the gynecologist. The gynecologist should issue her a transfer to the clinic, because Laura knew from the start that she wanted to cancel the pregnancy. « There was nothing, nothing really feels about it, » she says today.

Stories like Laura's that are not an isolated case. According to the Federal Statistical Office, 106,000 abortions were carried out in Germany in 2023, and the figures for 2024 are pending. Abortions are a crime in Germany, but are not punished. At least if the pregnant women adhere to a number of provisions: they need to take advice, keep a three -day waiting period and the demolition must take place within the first twelve weeks.

Legalize the Action alliance Abortion – now: « We are braked strongly »

The traffic light coalition did not go far enough. In 2021, she had made it completely to legalize pregnancy abortions in the first three months. The costs should also be covered by health insurance companies and a nationwide supply should also be guaranteed. The attempt has failed in the past legislative period. To a final coordination in the Bundestag it never came.

At least one success was able to record the traffic lights for itself: the abolition of paragraph 219a. This laid down the so -called advertising ban on abortions. This regulation meant that doctors could hardly publicly inform about abortions. They risked law enforcement.

Laura also felt that. Their abortion has now been ten years ago. At that time, Laura felt that she was not discussed in detail by her gynecologist. The possibility of aborting with medication was not at all, Laura says. And she could inform herself not due to the restrictions of the 219a. « I was dependent on her. » In the clinic she learned later: medication would have been an option. At that time it was already too late. Now there was only one surgical intervention left.

Nevertheless, she never regretted the step. Also when mourning and remorse plagued them. She had it primarily because of the stigmatization that goes with the procedure, says Laura today. « It had nothing to do with the abortion itself, but simply clearly with the around it ».

All the more affected associations criticize the failure of the design by the government. The argument: As long as abortions are a crime, they remain stigmatized. The position of the abortion in the criminal code criminalizes women, says Leonie Weber from the « Legalize abortion – now ». The decriminalization is about « protecting people ». Weber says about the failed design: « We are slowly slowed down ».

However, Weber hopes that the legalization of abortions will make it in the next coalition agreement. The drive must be from the SPD come. The Social Democrats have promised the legalization of abortions in the election campaign. The Union wants to maintain the applicable regulation.

In other countries, too, there were recently discussions about the legalization of abortions

Not only from the Union the alliance gets headwind. Some experts argued against the bill in the Bundestag in mid -February. A Gynecologist of the Charité in Berlin, for example, doubted that there was a supply problem. Although he does breakers himself, he does not represent them ethically. Others demanded that unborn life have to be respected.

In other countries, too, there have recently been discussions about the legalization or criminalization of abortions. In the United States, the Supreme Court overturned the « Roe V Wade » judgment in June 2022, which has guaranteed nationwide abortion law for almost 50 years. France went the opposite way: since March of last year, freedom to abortion has been anchored in the constitution. That would also be a goal for Weber. However, one thing that currently does not seem to be achievable. « First of all, we are only fighting for the basics, » says Weber, « we are welcome to continue dreaming afterwards ».