Denmark’s government plans to allow women aged 15 to 17 to get an abortion without consent from their parents, as the Nordic country marked the 50th anniversary of the right to choose.
(Bloomberg) — Denmark’s government plans to allow women aged 15 to 17 to get an abortion without consent from their parents, as the Nordic country marked the 50th anniversary of the right to choose.
“Abortion can be associated with many emotions, guilt and shame,” Marie Bjerre, the Danish minister for equality, said in a tweet on Wednesday. “It can be humiliating and have major consequences to have to ask for parental consent when you are under 18. We want to put an end to that.”
Women living in Denmark have the right to an abortion up until the 12th week of pregnancy and don’t have to provide a justification for their decision. But currently, abortion is only legal for women under 18 if they have permission from parents or guardians.
Lawmakers are also discussing allowing abortions up into the second trimester.
According to an October report from the Center for Reproductive Rights, a legal advocacy group, more than 95% of people of reproductive age in Europe live in countries that allow abortion on request or what the group defines as “broad social grounds.”
Read more: Abortion Debate Is Rekindled in Europe After US Rollback of Roe
(Updates with data on abortion access in Europe in the final paragraph.)
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