Recently, the government, with support from several parties, has decided to increase the limit for free abortion to the 18th week of pregnancy. This decision has been met with great approval from the Danish Medical Association, which represents the majority of Danish doctors. The president of the Danish Medical Association, Camilla Rathcke, has publicly praised the new agreement, which she believes will improve women’s opportunities to make a well-considered decision about abortion. “It’s a really good agreement that has been made here. It’s a significant expansion of women’s ability to decide for themselves,” Rathcke stated. The previous abortion limit was set at 12 weeks, a limit that has remained unchanged since the introduction of free abortion in Denmark in 1973. According to Rathcke, this limit has not been sufficient in several cases where problems were only discovered after the 12th week, often during scans in the 14th or 15th week. With the new law change, women now have the opportunity to undergo further examinations and thus have more time to consider whether they want to continue the pregnancy, especially in cases where complications are detected in the fetus.
“We in the Danish Medical Association have pointed to 18 weeks as a good limit, especially for the women who actually want their pregnancy, but where there appears to be something wrong with the fetus,” explained Rathcke. This change in legislation is seen as a step forward for women’s rights and health, and it gives women the right to make a decision without the need for a consultation. This development has been positively received among healthcare professionals and women’s rights organizations across the country.