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amadiIt's me again, with another potentially controversial poll. Well, not really, because this isn't about opinions, just about facts. The purpose of this poll is to gain a better understanding of one of the key issues of abortion access -- funding -- in other countries, as political battles over that issue are raging across the U.S.
Yes, I could go scour through two separate Wikipedia articles then try to drill down into other resources to figure out the final piece of the puzzle, but it's easier to crowdsource this info with four simple questions.
This poll is for people who reside outside of the U.S.A. only. (This poll and entry are public, so if you'd like to poke your friends in other countries to come answer, that'd be spiffing.)
For the purposes of this poll, elective abortion is defined as one that is not sought due to pressing health concerns for the pregnant person or due to a pregnancy arising from sexual violence.
Yes, I could go scour through two separate Wikipedia articles then try to drill down into other resources to figure out the final piece of the puzzle, but it's easier to crowdsource this info with four simple questions.
This poll is for people who reside outside of the U.S.A. only. (This poll and entry are public, so if you'd like to poke your friends in other countries to come answer, that'd be spiffing.)
For the purposes of this poll, elective abortion is defined as one that is not sought due to pressing health concerns for the pregnant person or due to a pregnancy arising from sexual violence.
Poll #7243 International Abortion Access
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 23
What country do you live in?
Is ELECTIVE abortion legal in your country?
View Answers
Yes (This includes legality only within certain limits, e.g. first trimester only or for adults only)
22 (95.7%)
No
0 (0.0%)
It's complicated & I'll comment to explain
1 (4.3%)
Is there a national health plan (socialized medicine) in your country?
If you answered yes to the previous question, does your national health plan fund ELECTIVE abortion?
no subject
Date: 2011-06-10 01:23 pm (UTC)In all states, abortions are paid for by the Federal government and there is no distinction between elective or not. If you want to go to a particular clinic, or have a same-day appointment in a busy area you might choose to pay for it privately. Additionally, the Medicare item that is paid for is not specified as an abortion, so there's no difference in the records between women who have, say, a D&C for PCOS-related reasons (like I did) and one who has an abortion.
no subject
Date: 2011-06-10 01:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-06-10 02:23 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-06-19 08:56 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-06-10 01:33 pm (UTC)Northern Ireland doesn't have this culture and the law is worded differently, and so it's really hard to get an abortion there, even though the country is part of the United Kingdom.
[1]Britain is England, Scotland and Wales but *not* Northern Ireland. The UK includes Northern Ireland. Hence using the UK in one case and Britain in the other.
no subject
Date: 2011-06-10 01:34 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-06-10 01:47 pm (UTC)The zealots here are entirely in favor of forcing people to remain pregnant in such situations, even though fetal death in the womb can quickly become extremely traumatic, life-threatening and require surgery, and of course there is great suffering for entire families and babies who are born only to suffer for a period until inevitable death.
no subject
Date: 2011-06-10 01:37 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-06-10 04:58 pm (UTC)And it does bug me that, even if this tends to be a formality, there is plenty of potential for it not to be. I may be a tad more hyper about this, coming from the US, but here's an interesting piece from last year: Is it time for abortion to return to the political agenda?. While they haven't had much luck so far, there is apparently an increase in attempts to interfere with people's reproductive rights here as well.
There are also accessibility problems which would probably lead me to go private if I needed an abortion. I have not been impressed at the kind of reproductive health care I have gotten so far under the NHS, and have run into enough know-better disablist attitudes with that so I am currently avoiding going for a routine Pap smear. (The last time I did, I left with an IUD I did not want. Seriously.)
ETA: I wrote some about some of the problems of having a giant HMO with a monopoly in this context a while back: Contraception, and informed choice. While it's a lot better than having no access, that doesn't make the implementation good. Especially when you don't have a lot of other options if you do run into outright discrimination; I know I'm lucky to be able to afford to go private, if need be.
no subject
Date: 2011-06-10 06:55 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-06-10 02:56 pm (UTC)Elective abortion: Not funded by state healthcare; legal to 24 weeks unless health complications arise; compulsory two-day waiting period and counselling session unless the person obtaining the abortion already has three or more children; minors can obtain an abortion without parental information or consent, but the police are notified if they are below the age of consent (16).
If I’m wrong, fellow Singaporeans, feel free to point out my error(s).
no subject
Date: 2011-06-10 03:09 pm (UTC)The other issue is what access to abortion means. PEI is Canada's smallest province, and prides itself on the fact that there are no abortion providers there. There are also no dermatologists. If one needs an abortion paid for by the province, your doctor needs to refer you, and then the province will fly you out to Nova Scotia for one.
no subject
Date: 2011-06-10 03:13 pm (UTC)The funding debate, on the other hand....
no subject
Date: 2011-06-10 06:51 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-06-10 06:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-06-10 07:01 pm (UTC)I was going to edit my earlier comment to fix a typo and emphasize that geographic limitations on access disproportionately affect First Nations, Inuit, and Metis communities, but your reply came in too quickly :)
no subject
Date: 2011-06-10 07:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-06-11 05:01 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-06-10 08:45 pm (UTC)Paid for by the health insurance companies if the mother's health is in danger, the fetus is "damaged" (for lack of a better word) OR if the woman has been raped.
If you simply don't want the child, you have to pay or yourself.
However, if you have a low income (at/near the poverty level or below), the health insurance will pay in any case. It's not very expensive anyway, so I think that this is fair. Paying for low-income women, but only paying for women with normal income if it's medically indicated or the woman was raped.
(btw, it's the same with some exams when you're pregnant - afaik, the standard minimum is paid for, but if you want more/better care, you have to pay. Unless you're in the low income range)
no subject
Date: 2011-06-17 10:47 pm (UTC)I ended up on your journal following a link chain and have been drawn to the power of Poll.
In Italy, abortion is elective up to the 90° day after the first day of your last menstruation (so, likely 2 1/2 months after conception?), after that term it is allowed only on the basis of "will harm the mother" - with harm including distress - and should, if performed in a public hospital and without extras, be free or with a minimal cost (ticket).
HOWEVER!
1)Objection of conscience (tr?) is sanctioned by the law, and is sadly widespread (60% and up in some regions).
2)The health service (tr?) has agreements with many private hospitals - many of which belong to the Catholic Church or affiliates - and this means that in any given city there might be very few/not enough places that will perform an abortion. [if the number of hospitals N is proportional to the necessities of citizens, then N minus the number of places-refusing-to-perform-abortions is likely to be below the population's demand]
no subject
Date: 2011-06-24 04:06 pm (UTC)