The Russian Policy of Limiting Access to Abortion is Intensifying.

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The Russian government continues pursuing a restrictive approach of limiting accessibility of safe abortions and reproductive healthcare amid a steep demographic crisis.

In light of a demographic crisis caused, among other reasons, by the grave human cost of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Russian authorities are seeking to promote birth rates by limiting women’s access not only to healthcare services like abortions and proper consultations, but also to accurate information about reproductive choices. Despite abortions in Russia not being outright banned, this represents a substantive backsliding. Some reports even suggest that, despite formal legality, abortions are effectively banned or restricted in nearly half of Russia’s regions.

The crackdown on abortion rights has been intensifying since 2023, when Russian authorities began increasing restrictions. License withdrawal or halted activity caused by increased pressure from the government are the causes behind a sharp drop in the number of facilities being able or willing to offer abortion services. Besides this pressure, Russian authorities have introduced financial incentives for doctors to dissuade underage girls from terminating unwanted pregnancies. In some regions, authorities are even paying pregnant schoolgirls to keep their babies.

This, coupled with a lack of sex education in Russian schools, is bound to result in a worrying increase of underage pregnancies in the near future. Russia’s Health Ministry is even advising doctors to prescribe therapy to women without pregnancy plans in order to “foster positive attitudes towards childbirth”. All of these measures constitute an infringement on women’s health rights.

This crackdown is consistent with Russia’s promotion of “traditional family values” and its aim is to counter the country’s low fertility rate. With this backdrop, the government has sought to ban propaganda promoting a “child-free lifestyle”, and, in some regions, even acts of “incitement” to abortion. Such bans constitute a limitation on women’s free choice and freedom of speech. The right to privacy is also being undermined, with the abolishment of doctor-patient confidentiality for minors over 15 and plans for a creation of a special register to track pregnancies.

The Orthodox Church has also been involved in dissuading women from aborting, following the Kremlin’s line. There are reports of coordinated prayer services all over the country reprimanding women intending to have abortions. Church members are also advancing law proposals targeting abortions: an example is the legislative ban proposal preventing married women from having abortions without their husband’s consent.

Human Rights Watch has condemned these efforts towards restricting abortion accessibility, deeming them as a breach of numerous human rights, including the right to health, the right to privacy and the right to personal autonomy.

written by Alessia Milillo