Significant reduction in the number of abortions: – Unfair treatment of women in districts – NRK Nordland – Local information, television and radio

Until the 12th week of pregnancy, women can decide if they will have an abortion in Norway.

After that, the woman must have the approval of an abortion panel consisting of two doctors to terminate the pregnancy.

A study by Helsetilsynet concluded in 2013 that the 35 students of today have treated women in a very different way.

In August, the government therefore asked health agencies to reduce the number of students in Norway to less than half – from 35 to around 15 – to ensure fairer treatment for women.

NRK has been in contact with all regional health authorities in the country. They are now preparing to abort.

In Nordland, the six current students will be reduced to two. In northern Norway, Helse Nord announces that the number of students will increase from 10 to 5.

– I think it's very serious. It should be easy for women in crisis to talk to a student. I firmly answer that the Minister of Health is making the task more difficult for many people, says Siv Dagny Aasvik, who has already made the same criticisms in the Vesteralen newspaper.

worried

Aasvik is both Mayor of Hadsel and Head of the Labor Women's Network in Nordland. She is concerned that many women in the districts now have to travel much longer to assess their desire to delay their development after the 12th week of pregnancy.

The 2013 survey also concluded that abortionists violate the law and that this can make the situation even more difficult for women who are already in a desperate situation. In 2017, the government hosted and sent consultation proposals on reducing the number of abortions.

Although SV believes that all abortions should be abolished and that women themselves should be free to decide whether to abort after week 12 and up to week 16, others believe that the reduction of abortions will weaken womens rights.

Aasvik is determined that this is the consequence and that women who want late care do not get the help they need.

"You begin to wonder if the government would live in 1918 and not in 2018. It's an unworthy treatment of women in a difficult life situation.

– Can get an online consultation

Each year, about 600 women request termination of pregnancy once the 12-week limit for self-abortion has been exceeded.

Right Sveinung Stensland, vice chair of the Storting Health and Care Committee, explains the reduction in the fact that many abortionists have so few things that they just do not have enough d & # 39; experience.

"Students will have a larger case, which will give board members a better experience, and at the same time, there will be greater equality between committees if fewer students with more cases are employed.

He recognizes that long trips are a challenge, but this can be solved with video calls.

"No matter how many students we have in Norway, someone will have to travel.The best thing to do is to facilitate video consultation so that you can not travel.

– Videoconferences feel impersonal

But the video consultation indicates that the gynecologist Kristen Olav Lind of Nordlandssykehuset Vesterålen is not a particularly satisfactory solution.

– I have participated in such videoconferences. He feels impersonal and not good. This weakens the abortion of women, he explains to the Vesteralen newspaper.

Lind believes that the case has received too little attention.

"There have been discussions in the professional press, but the debate has not been broadcast in the public space, it is perceived as a sneaky entry.

The gynecologist, like Aasvik, believes that it is an attack against the right to abortion of women.

– It's a new way to make it more difficult for women to abort. In particular, I fear that girls and women with few resources will suffer, he says.