Abortion in Luxemburg – Legal? A crime? Neither nor?
The tabooisation of sexuality in our society leads to the situation that a  large amount of luxemburgish women is not aware of her rights as far as the termination of unwanted pregnancy is concerned.

In 1978, Luxemburg established a law on the voluntary termination of pregnancy and connected to this law it was also decided, that  there should occur a wide-ranging sex education at all levels of the national education system, as well as the appropriate training for the teachers. It is not hard to guess what reality looks like: the content of the specific classes is up to the teachers and there are no appropriate seminars for the staff to deal with the topic in the right way (as far as child-education is concerned). Result: the topic is very likely to be avoided.

When it comes to pregnancy and the consideration of abortion, there are some strictly set rules to keep it legal.
It has to occur in the first weeks of pregnancy, accompanied by one of the following circumstances:
Either a continuation of the pregnancy would represent physical of mental damage to either mother or child, or it was a consequence of rape.
Further conditions that have to be fulfilled are the consultation of a gynaecologist, a residence in Luxemburg for the last three months and in case of being underaged, an authorisation by the parents or legal representatives.
By any other means, abortion is a crime and leads to punishment of the mother aswell as of the doctor and any other person being directly involved in the process.

All those reglementations lead to severe problems in women’s access to a self-determined abortion, which opens the doors to “abortion tourism” to other countries where the law is less strict about the abortion as well as about the mandatory 3-months-residence, for example in the Netherlands. Women trying to find a solution on the internet expose themselves to massive danger because of unsafe methods recommended or toxic medicine used.

“Si je veux – Self-determination for women” sees the urgent need in a petition in order to change one of the strictest abortion reglementations in Europe.
It aims for decriminalisation of the voluntary termination of pregnancy and therefore for self-determination of women, opposing the continued application of physical, psychological or social indications limiting access to voluntary
termination, a second compulsory consultation in an approved centre and the application of a three-month residence clause.

All women in the situation of a wanted abortion should receive  legally-guaranteed access to abortion within a stated time limit, have optional access to a worthwhile prior consultation, the benefit of psychological and medical care and aswell benefit from reimbursement of the medical costs by the National Health.

Every voice counts, sign the petition online and allow women in Luxemburg to decide for themselves, for their futures.

www.sokrates.lu/ivg