Abstract
The limitations caused by the spread of the SARS-CoV2 virus have had repercussions on the voluntary termination of pregnancy. During the pandemic, Italy issued updated guidelines regarding voluntary termination of pregnancy by means of mifepristone and prostaglandin. This included news concerning the time limit and location in which this procedure could be accessed: updates partially recognize women’s needs, and they are into line with the European parliament’s recent exhortations. However, these updates do not change the previously provided responsibilities that lie with doctors. This article aimed to compare regulations concerning medical abortion in Italy and other countries, with a focus on recent Italian updates in the context of pandemic.
Highlights
An important aspect of public health, in terms of the organization of and access to healthcare services, is the protection of women’s health and autonomy by means of termination of pregnancy
Induced Termination of Pregnancy in Italy In Italy, the option of pharmacologically induced abortion was met with strong opposition, since it was believed that said option could be perceived as an incentive to resort to the voluntary termination of pregnancy (VTP) [22]
The innovations brought in during the COVID-19 pandemic as regards terminations of pregnancy by mifepristone and misoprostol in Italy, both as regards the permitted timeframe and the location for the procedure, though not completely in line with provisions on an international level, represent a partial recognition of a woman’s need to undergo abortion procedures in the most comfortable setting possible. These innovations comply with the most recent exhortations of the European parliament to improve the existing abortion procedures, evaluate methods for handling any deficiencies that have come to light as a result of the pandemic, and ensure access to abortion ‘including by means of abortion pill’ [48]
Summary
An important aspect of public health, in terms of the organization of and access to healthcare services, is the protection of women’s health and autonomy by means of termination of pregnancy. As a result of SARS-CoV2 pandemic-related restrictions [1], which have resulted in reduced access to hospital facilities for non-infection-related healthcare services [2,3], some countries have extended access to pharmacologically induced abortions, whereas others have attempted to impede access to abortions by deeming such procedures as non-essential. The aim of this article was to compare the current regulations in force in Italy with those in other countries as regards pharmacologically induced termination of pregnancy, with particular reference to updates introduced in the context of the current pandemic. With regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations
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