Abortion in time

South Korea: In 1953, there was a blanket ban on abortions for women in Korea. Since then abortions have remained banned; however, illegal abortions take place in secret in clinics and hospitals. According to CNN Health, women who proceeded with abortions in South Korea could possibly face up to a year in prison and could possibly be fined up to two million won or $1,780 U.S. dollars. As for the doctors who helped terminate the pregnancies, they could possibly be jailed for up to two years. Because of this, almost 75 percent of women aged 15 to 40 considered the law as unfair, according to a survey released in 2020 by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs. Around 20 percent of these correspondents said they had an illegal abortions. However, on April 11, 2019, the South Korean Constitutional Court ruled that the abortion ban was unconstitutional. At the end of 2020 the South Korea’s 66-year abortion ban was lifted which was a major win for prochoice advocates.

Poland: From 1956 until 1993, abortion in Poland was widely accessible. The terminations were performed free of charge in public hospitals or could be obtained in private clinics with a relatively low fee. However, as of October 30, 2020, abortions are only legal in cases of rape and incest. This means that when a woman’s life is at risk, then can an abortion be performed . According to the Guardian, currently “Poland right wing government has the lead implications of a controversial court ruling to overthrow almost all abortions after it prompted the largest protest and stuff out of communism.” This is referring to the women’s protest or the legalization of abortions that have been happening in Poland since the beginning of November 2020. South Africa: On December 11, 1996, South Africa enacted the Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Act. This allowed women of any age or marital status access to abortion services only during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. In some rare cases, access to abortion services were also done at the first 20 weeks of pregnancy. The 1996 act was then replaced with a 1975 law that allowed access to abortion services by requiring a doctor’s approval for a abortion procedure which advanced the reproductive rights by South Africa’s first democratically elected parliament. The law is still in place today. Other parts of Africa do not offer abortion access, but others such as Cape Verde, Mozambique, and Tunisia do.

Virginia Abortion Law: There are various abortion laws and restrictions put into order in Virginia. According to Guttmacher Institute, as of September 1, 2020, in Virginia, the following restrictions were created: health plans offered under the Affordable Care Act can only cover abortion in cases of life endangerment such as rape or incest. For public employees, abortion is covered in cases of rape, incest, or fetal impairment. The parent of a minor, under the age of 18, must consent and be notified before an abortion is provided. And an abortion during the third trimester may be performed only if the patient’s life is at risk.

Iceland: Abortion in Iceland has been legal for more medical than social reasons since May 22, 1975. However, the 1975 law did not allow abortions to be performed on request; they were only allowed in certain circumstances such as rape and it also depended on how far along the pregnancy way in trimesters. Iceland has even been considered the first country to legalize abortion which Mexico and parts of Russia have also been considered. According to Time News, “80 years ago, on Jan. 28 of 1935, Iceland’s ‘Law No. 38’ declared that the mother’s health and ‘domestic conditions’ may be taken into consideration when considering whether to permit doctors to perform an abortion.” United States: In 1973, the case of Roe vs Wade had made its mark on women’s history. This is where the Supreme Court ruled in favor for many women to have access to safe and legal abortion as a constitutional right. Today, abortion is legal throughout the United States; however, there are restrictions and different accessibility that vary from state to state because of it still being a controversial issue. Some states in the U.S. that are trying to restrict abortion access include Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, and Utah. States trying to protect abortion access in their state laws include Illinois, Maine, Nevada, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont. According to Guttmatcher Institute, between 2011 and 2017, abortions in the U.S. have changed drastically. The number of abortions fell by 19 percent over the one million abortions in 2011 to just over 800,000 abortions in 2017. In 2020, there are about 12 abortions per 1,000 women.