Abortion in Finland
Encyclopedia
Abortion in Finland was illegal until 1950, when the Parliament of Finland
decriminalized abortion
s when performed to preserve the physical or mental health of the woman, in cases where it could be determined if the child would be handicapped, or if the pregnancy resulted from rape
. Finnish
law was further liberalised in 1970, allowing abortion for socio-economic reasons, if the woman was younger than 17 or older than 40, if the woman had already had four children, or if, owing to disease or mental disturbance, one or both parents would be unable to raise the child. In 2008, 10423 abortions were made which is 8.9 per 1000 women (aged 15 to 49). The gradual decrease in abortions is basically the result of the decrease in abortions of the under 20 age group
Under most circumstances, the approval of two physicians is deemed necessary to approve an abortion. Only one is necessary in cases of under-age or over-age pregnancies or when the woman has already had four children. Women seeking abortions must be provided with information detailing the significance and effects of the procedure. Under the 1970 law, abortions were to be performed before sixteen weeks of pregnancy. An amendment in 1978 allowed abortions to be performed at any point in cases of disease or physical defect in the woman. In 1979, the gestational limit was changed from sixteen to twelve weeks of pregnancy. A 1985 bill allowed abortion up to 20 weeks of pregnancy for underage women and up to the 24th week if an amniocentesis
or ultrasound
found serious impairment
in the fetus.
Abortions are provided free-of-charge in hospitals. It is illegal to perform abortions in clinics, though doctors are empowered to provide abortions outside of hospitals in dire circumstances. Illegal abortions are very rare because in practice a woman can get an abortion on demand, although by the strictest application of the law (de jure) this is not legal.
Parliament of Finland
The Eduskunta , is the parliament of Finland. The unicameral parliament has 200 members and meets in the Parliament House in Helsinki. The latest election to the parliament took place on April 17, 2011.- Constitution :...
decriminalized abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
s when performed to preserve the physical or mental health of the woman, in cases where it could be determined if the child would be handicapped, or if the pregnancy resulted from rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
. Finnish
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
law was further liberalised in 1970, allowing abortion for socio-economic reasons, if the woman was younger than 17 or older than 40, if the woman had already had four children, or if, owing to disease or mental disturbance, one or both parents would be unable to raise the child. In 2008, 10423 abortions were made which is 8.9 per 1000 women (aged 15 to 49). The gradual decrease in abortions is basically the result of the decrease in abortions of the under 20 age group
Under most circumstances, the approval of two physicians is deemed necessary to approve an abortion. Only one is necessary in cases of under-age or over-age pregnancies or when the woman has already had four children. Women seeking abortions must be provided with information detailing the significance and effects of the procedure. Under the 1970 law, abortions were to be performed before sixteen weeks of pregnancy. An amendment in 1978 allowed abortions to be performed at any point in cases of disease or physical defect in the woman. In 1979, the gestational limit was changed from sixteen to twelve weeks of pregnancy. A 1985 bill allowed abortion up to 20 weeks of pregnancy for underage women and up to the 24th week if an amniocentesis
Amniocentesis
Amniocentesis is a medical procedure used in prenatal diagnosis of chromosomal abnormalities and fetal infections, in which a small amount of amniotic fluid, which contains fetal tissues, is sampled from the amnion or amniotic sac surrounding a developing fetus, and the fetal DNA is examined for...
or ultrasound
Ultrasound
Ultrasound is cyclic sound pressure with a frequency greater than the upper limit of human hearing. Ultrasound is thus not separated from "normal" sound based on differences in physical properties, only the fact that humans cannot hear it. Although this limit varies from person to person, it is...
found serious impairment
Impairment
Impairment may refer to:* A medical condition that leads to disability* In accounting, a downward revaluation of fixed assets* In health, any loss or abnormality of physiological, psychological, or anatomical structure or function, whether permanent or temporary...
in the fetus.
Abortions are provided free-of-charge in hospitals. It is illegal to perform abortions in clinics, though doctors are empowered to provide abortions outside of hospitals in dire circumstances. Illegal abortions are very rare because in practice a woman can get an abortion on demand, although by the strictest application of the law (de jure) this is not legal.
See also
- Abortion by country
- Abortion debateAbortion debateThe abortion debate refers to discussion and controversy surrounding the moral and legal status of abortion. The two main groups involved in the abortion debate are the self-described "pro-choice" movement and the "pro-life" movement...
- Abortion lawAbortion lawAbortion law is legislation and common law which pertains to the provision of abortion. Abortion has been a controversial subject in many societies through history because of the moral, ethical, practical, and political power issues that surround it. It has been banned frequently and otherwise...
- Religion and abortionReligion and abortionMany religious traditions have taken a stance on abortion, and these stances span a broad spectrum as highlighted below.-Buddhism:There is no single Buddhist view concerning abortion. Traditional sources, such as the Buddhist monastic code, hold that life begins at conception and that abortion,...