Efforts to safeguard reproductive rights in Romania face increasing challenges, according to a recent report by Human Rights Watch (HRW). The report, titled “It’s Happening Even Without You Noticing: Increasing Barriers to Accessing Sexual and Reproductive Health Care in Romania,” was released on Monday. It highlights issues such as limited access to abortion, contraception, and comprehensive sexuality education for women and girls in Romania.
Despite legal provisions under Article 190 of the Romanian Criminal Code allowing abortion on request up to 14 weeks of pregnancy, HRW has identified that many doctors and public hospitals are obstructing access. Many healthcare providers cite “conscientious objection” without referring patients to others who can provide the necessary services. This practice raises ethical concerns, as conscientious objection often goes unchallenged, perpetuating barriers to essential medical care.
HRW further emphasizes the role of anti-abortion groups and crisis pregnancy centers in complicating access through misinformation and deception. An illustrative case in the report describes a 19-year-old, Nina, who was misled by a family doctor into scheduling an appointment at an anti-abortion website. This, according to HRW, was a deliberate attempt to defer access to proper healthcare until beyond the legal timeframe, thus exacerbating the emotional and financial burdens experienced by those seeking care.
Access to contraception is equally restricted, and sexual education in schools remains inadequate. These conditions bring back memories of the restrictive Decree 770, implemented under Romania’s communist regime from 1966 to 1989, which resulted in over 10,000 maternal deaths. HRW urges Romania to remember these events to prevent repeating the past.
Song Ah Lee, a former Finberg Fellow at HRW, notes the increasingly hostile environment for women and girls in exercising choices about their health, warning of broader implications if current trends continue.