What is the purpose of Poland's "pregnancy register?
After the conservative
government of Poland disclosed intentions to establish a purported
"pregnancy register," worries have increased.
Agnieszka
Dziemianowicz-Bk, an opposition member, commented, "A pregnancy registry
in a country with an almost full ban on abortion is alarming," echoing
growing concerns that authorities are aiming to keep pregnant Polish women
under surveillance and tighten restrictions on abortions.
Adam Niedzielski, the
country's minister of health, signed a directive on Monday expanding the
categories of data that should be included into the national health database,
including blood types, allergies, and pregnancies.
The record is only
intended to improve patient medical care, according to Poland's Health
Ministry, which also claims that only doctors and other medical professionals
would have access to it.
Following objections, the
reform's proposal to report pregnant women who are spotted drinking or smoking
was dropped, according to Euronews.
Activists, however, are
not persuaded and believe it to be the PiS-led administration's newest attempt
to significantly restrict Polish women's access to abortions.
It is "another
savage attack on Poland's sexual and reproductive rights" that "may
be used to identify abortions," according to human rights expert Annika
Ojala.
Keeping Polish expectant
mothers under observation?
Polish women worry that
now that abortions are almost entirely prohibited, the government will be able
to monitor their pregnancies and identify those whose pregnancies terminated
early, whether through miscarriage, the use of abortion pills, or an overseas
termination.
Marta Lempart, a
prominent advocate for women's rights in the nation, voiced worry that the
registry's data would eventually be given to law enforcement and prosecutors.
Lempart, the head of the
local NGO Women's Strike, claimed that the measures will disproportionately
harm poorer women while making it easier for wealthy women to seek private care
outside of the public health system or to end their pregnancies abroad.
One of the harshest
abortion regulations in Europe has long been in place in Poland. The great
majority of legal abortions were essentially outlawed in 2020 when the
Constitutional Court determined that abortion in cases of foetus abnormalities
was illegal.
Only in circumstances of
rape, incest, or when the woman's life is in danger can women today choose to
end their pregnancies.