Jurist Romania facing growing barriers to reproduction rights amid legislative rollback, rights group says

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Human Rights Watch (HRW) decried the escalating obstacles in accessing abortion, contraception, and comprehensive sexuality education for Romanian women and girls in a report released on Monday. The report, titled “It’s Happening Even Without You Noticing: Increasing Barriers to Accessing Sexual and Reproductive Health Care in Romania“, highlights the systematic failure of authorities to uphold the universal principles of the rule of law and its rights.

Song Ah Lee, former Finberg Fellow at HRW, stated:

Women and girls in Romania face an increasingly hostile landscape, as they seek to make decisions about their own bodies and health care. The Romanian authorities are not only failing to uphold sexual and reproductive health rights but are often enabling efforts to block women and girls from exercising these rights.

According to Article 190 of the Romanian Criminal Code, abortion on request remains legal until 14 weeks of pregnancy, however, HRW found a widespread trend of doctors and public hospitals refusing to provide abortion. Many invoke “conscientous objection” without even referring the patient to any other willing provider, which is violative of medical ethics. Furthermore, Anti-abortion groups and crisis pregnancy centres often state that they are enabled to dissuade and trick women through deceptive tactics, such as misinformation regarding fetal disposal.

One of the persons interviewed, Nina, who was 19 at the time of her pregnancy, recounted being misdirected to an anti-abortion website by her family doctor. The site purposefully scheduled a failed appointment with Bucharest’s Giulesti Maternity Hospital in order to delay the care until she surpassed the legal limit. “I experienced a major break in the perception that I could do anything. Maybe that is why I can’t bond with my son as well. It was really painful, and it still is,” Nina explained while describing the financial strain and strained familial bond post-birth.

Contraception access is similarly restricted, while schools lack evidence-based sexual education. These scenarios are akin to Romania’s oppressive Decree 770 (1966-1989), which banned abortion and contraceptions, leading to a period of unsafe procedures and over 10,000 estimated maternal deaths. “Romania should remember its own destructive history and fully respect the rights of women and girls,” emphasized Lee.

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