The Norwegian abortion law
Abortion was permitted ii Norway in 1964. Pregnant women could then apply for a tribunal to have the abortion performed. The law was adopted on 11 November 1960, but came not implemented until 1 February 1964. [4] It was in 1967 stated that approximately 4,700 women annually applied for abortion. Of these, about 3500 granted an abortion. It is further estimated that between 7000 and 10 000 Norwegian women underwent illegal abortions each year in the 1960s. [5]
A survey from 1973 showed that the proportion of women who were granted abortion increased from 73% in 1965 to 85% in 1971. Berthold Grünfeld believed that this indicated that there had been a liberalization of the interpretation of abortion law. The same survey showed that nearly half of unmarried women in Oslo, which had been rejected on abortion, got it done illegally. The number of appeals for rejection varied widely from region to region. In Oslo appealed as much as 76% of women in 1971, while the appeal among women in Finnmark was only 2%. [6] Different interpretation of abortion law meant that there was a certain rush to Oslo from seeking abortion. It was in 1960 - and 1970's more difficult to obtain an abortion in rural Norway than in Oslo. There was also a more restrictive view of northern Norway, in western and southern Norway. Østfold was also a place where it was difficult to obtain an abortion in the early 1970's. This led to many applied to Oslo to get an abortion. [7] A survey conducted in the mid-1970s, showed that there was life vision and the social background of members of the abortion committees that were decisive for the application outcome. The life situation of the woman who had requested abortion were of less significance. [8]
The 30 May 1978 becomes law on abortion enacted. [9] The allowed from its entry into force on 1 December 1978 abortion on social indications. In both Odelsting (May 22) and Lagting (May 29, 1975) was the bill approved by one vote, in Odelsting did the president's double vote.
Abortion Act was amended in 1978 so there is abortion on demand by the end of 12 pregnancy (Law of 13 June 1975 No. 50 relating to termination of pregnancy [10]).
Abortion Act core § 2 Here it is the conditions that must be met for an abortion should be legal:
Before 12 week of pregnancy the woman can make the decision yourself. After 12 week, abortion is granted by a tribunal, if one of these criteria are met:
a) there is a risk of a woman's physical or mental health
b) the woman has a difficult life situation
c) there is a high risk of disease in child
d) the pregnancy results from rape or incest
e) the mother has mental illness or mental retardation
The law also says that "there will be significant emphasis on how women themselves judged their situation."
The points a-e can be interpreted quite broadly. Act and the regulations suggests that more and more take for this criteria is met when the pregnancy length increases from 12 up to 18 weeks. After 18 weeks, abortion is not allowed, "unless there are particularly compelling reasons for it." If the pregnancy has gone so far that the fetus can be viable (currently approx. 23 weeks), can not abortion be granted on any ground. It is indeed an exception - if the mother is in danger of dying due to pregnancy, abortion can be performed at any stage of pregnancy.
Abortion Act has always been controversial.
Scope of Norway
Abortion figure has been stable between 13 500 and 16 200 in the past 30 years, while the number of women of childbearing age has risen. From 1989 to 2005 decreased abortion century steadily from 16 208 to 13 989, but since 2006 the number of abortions has been increasing and reached 16 073 in 2008. In the period 1979 to 2008, it performed 436,351 abortions in Norway [11] [12].
Oslo has traditionally been the county with the highest abortion rate, and there are increasing by 18.8 per 1000 (2008). [12] The age group with the highest abortion rate is 20-24 years. In this age group are also many pregnancies. In 2001 there were 2,448 abortions among teenagers has increased to 2,778 in 2008. [12] Between a four and one in five women experience abortion in their lifetime. 75% of abortions occur before the end of 9 week, 97-98% within 12 week. [Citation needed]. In Oslo, took more than half of pregnant women between 20 and 25 abortions in 2004 [13]. Nationwide, the corresponding figure was one of three in 2005. [14]
Attitudes to abortion in Norway
In Norway, there has traditionally been from the Christian conservative quarters that opposition to abortion on demand has been strongest. Abortion Opposition has been particularly led by the so-called "abortion priests" Borre Knudsen and Ludvig Nessa. Opposition was especially strong from the hold after the law on abortion was introduced in 1978.
A poll conducted in 1976 showed that 32% supported abortion, while 14% want to retain the liberalization of the law passed in 1976. 27% believe that abortion should be allowed on medical and social grounds, while 27% wanted that abortion should only be granted if the mother's life or health was in danger. In spring 1978, the same questions asked and showed that the proportion who supported abortion was increased to 38%, while those who only wanted to allow it if the mother's life or health was in danger, was decreased to 25%. The survey from 1978 showed that there were men, the elderly, those with low education or low income were the strongest opponents of abortion. Geographically, the greatest support for abortion in Eastern Norway, while there was greater resistance in northern Norway and Trøndelag. The figures for South and West Coast were 38% (against 24% in 1976). There was only one party's voters there was majority support for abortion, while only 6% of the Christian Democratic voters wanted abortion. The voters of other parties were split in their views. [15]
Studies on abortion from 1974 to 1980 and showed that the proportion who were self-abortion was increasing, while the opposite was true for the proportion who had the opposite attitude. The studies also showed that a greater proportion of men was abortion than women, significantly higher proportion among younger than older, larger share in the Oslo area than elsewhere in the country. The investigations showed that SV-voters made up the largest proportion of which were for abortion, but the Christian Democratic Party voters accounted for the largest share of opponents
Sources
- ^ Dagbladet
- ^ Mark Mazower: Dark Continent (pp. 85-6), Penguin books, ISBN 0-14-024159-0
- ^ Ebba D. Drolshagen: They did not go free (p. 187 and 192), the publisher in October, Oslo 2009, ISBN 978-82-495-0592-0
- ^ VG - A new law in force for 3 years (31/12/1963, p. 6) ^ VG - Illegal abortions (10/03/1967, p.7)
- ^ VG - Half receives illegal abortion (03.22.1973, p.7)
- ^ VG - Abortion Increasing travel to London (01/30/1973, 10)
- ^ Dagbladet - Dagbladet 50 years ago ... and 25 years ago (May 18, 2000)
- ^ Http://www.dagsavisen.no/innenriks/article351798.ece
- ^ Act of 13 June 1975 No. 50 relating to abortion
- ^ Http://www.ssb.no/abort/tab-2006-04-26-01.html
- ^ Abc http://www.fhi.no/dokumenter/ed85e968b8.pdf
- ^ Aftenposten article on abortion ^ Dagbladet article on abortion
- ^ Ab VG - More on abortion (05/18/1978, p.4)
- ^ Ab BBC News - More and more people said yes to abortion (19.7.1980, p.3)
- ^ Aftenposten - Two against one supports abortion (01/08/1981, p.16)
- ^ The address of kvinnenens abortion
- ^ Dagbladet on abortion
- ^ What is the Catholic Church's stance on abortion? (Danish). The Catholic Church in Denmark. Visited 24 February 2008.
- ^ The Catholic Church in Norway. Bishop Eidsvig about abortion case in Brazil (Norwegian). The Catholic Church in Norway. Visited 20 March, 2009.
- ^ Åsne Gullikstad. Catholics boycott Amnesty (Norwegian). Dagsavisen. Visited 24 February 2008.
- ^ Dagbladet News
