WARSAW, Poland — Poland’s President Andrzej Duda on Friday vetoed a regulation that may have allowed over-the-counter entry to the morning-after capsule for women and girls ages 15 and above, his workplace stated. Duda stated he was involved in regards to the well being of minors and heeding the voices of oldsters.
An announcement by Duda’s workplace stated the president despatched the regulation again to the parliament, however was open to a debate on free entry to the hormonal contraception capsule for these aged 18 and above.
It stated that no convincing arguments have been made throughout the public debate that may justify free entry to the capsule for women underneath the age of 18.
Final month, parliament accepted the regulation, nevertheless it nonetheless wanted Duda’s approval to take impact. The brand new pro-European Union authorities had supposed the regulation to be a primary step towards a liberalization of Poland’s reproductive laws, that are amongst Europe’s most restrictive and have been inherited from the earlier, conservative authorities.
Duda accepted these selections, which drew large road protests.
Duda’s veto signifies that the capsule, referred to as ellaOne, which prevents being pregnant and isn’t an abortion capsule, stays out there solely on prescription.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk commented, saying on X, previously Twitter, that Duda “missed a possibility to be on the ladies’s facet. We’re implementing plan B.”
Well being Minister Izabela Leszczyna stated that inside “Plan B,” a directive might be issued permitting pharmacists to problem the wanted prescriptions. The plan might be submitted for public dialogue earlier than implementation.
Poland’s minister for equality who fights in opposition to varied types of discrimination, Katarzyna Kotula, stated on X that “the morning-after capsule might be out there, no matter what’s the opinion of the president, who bases his resolution on superstition fairly than on medical information.”
Abortion in Poland, a predominantly Roman Catholic nation, is authorized solely when the being pregnant threatens a lady’s well being or life, or outcomes from rape. The strict regulation has had a chilling impact on Poland’s docs and has led to a lot of deaths of girls with troubled pregnancies.