– When I left the hospital after the abortion, it felt like I had lost a child. Signe Veierland Busch was just over 20 weeks pregnant when she chose to terminate the pregnancy. The girl she was carrying was seriously ill. Signe Veierud Busch felt very alone after the abortion. – I wondered if I was going crazy, and I had no one to look up to. So I didn’t know what it was normal to feel after such an abortion. Because we had actually chosen it ourselves. Each year, around 12,000 women have self-determined abortions in Norway. Most people have an abortion in week eight or nine, but some also have an abortion for various reasons after week 12. This is called a late abortion. The government proposes in its proposal for a new abortion law that these women should have two statutory follow-up hours in connection with the abortion. Professionals who work with women’s health have reacted to this. It was also what the government received the most criticism for during the oral hearing on the new abortion law last week. Suggesting statutory help Today, some hospitals have their own social workers who talk to women before and after a late-term abortion. Helse Sør-East has one, Stavanger hospital says in an email to news that they don’t have any. In Sørlandet there are some social workers, but they say that there are too few and that the need is great. Kristian Opphaug works at Rikshospitalet and talks to women before and after a late abortion. Sociologist Kristian Ophaug at Rikshospitalet says the proposal for two follow-up hours is too little. Photo: Marianne Ytre-Eide / news Opphaug believes that the two follow-up hours that are proposed are far too little. – It’s hardly, that is. Two may just want to open up, so that one can sort of get started. And then there will be unmet needs, then. So it’s not enough. The Ministry of Health and Care says in an e-mail to news that GPs can refer the women on to regular psychological services if they need it. Opphaug believes many people cannot afford this. The Swedes and Danes have better offers Norway stands out from the other Nordic countries in the follow-up provided to women who have had an abortion after week twelve. Danish women who have had a late abortion will have 60 per cent of the costs covered for up to twelve follow-up hours. The authorities offer a free psychologist if you have moderate anxiety or depression. Or are under 24 years of age. In Sweden, the woman and her partner receive support calls both before and after an abortion, regardless of how far along in the pregnancy they have progressed. In Sweden, women also have a statutory right to help in the event of a miscarriage. Sending letters to the politicians In Norway, there is a nationwide free offer for women who have had an abortion. It is the Amathea Foundation. Amathea is the only free service in Norway that is state-funded. – I think that for many women in Norway, Amathea is the only counseling service available. That’s what Malin Stensønes says, who is general secretary of the Norwegian Women’s Sanitary Association. This is Amathea. Amathea is a free health service for anyone who wants to talk to someone about abortion and pregnancy – both before, during and after. They have four nationwide offices that are state-financed Bergen, Oslo, Tromsø and Trondheim Kristiansand municipality operates one of its own. Contact them on 906 59 060 Malin Stensønes, secretary general of the Norwegian Women’s Sanitation Association, says they demand better follow-up of both women who have abortions and those who miscarry. Photo: Kaspara Stoltze / news Stiftelsen Amathea had ten offices in Norway, but in recent years has been cut down to four that are state-run. They get about three million kroner extra in the state budget, but it is little compared to the seven million they have already been cut, believes Stensønes. General manager of Amathea Andrea Skaarer Kreutz says the need for follow-up is great. Photo: Amathea Head of Amathea Andrea Skaarer Kreutz says they want to return to the level before the cuts. – The need for follow-up is great. Health Minister Jan Christian Vestre says it’s all about priorities – This means that some grants go up, and some grants go down. It is then our responsibility to ensure that good guidance and follow-up is provided. We must ensure that this happens, within the framework of what is published. But of course also with good partners and helpers, which Amathea is too. Health Minister Jan Christian Vestre says they will now legislate follow-up for self-determined abortion. Photo: Tom Balgaard The Norwegian Women’s Sanitary Association is now sending a letter to all politicians in the Storting asking for better statutory follow-up. Two hours is not enough, says general secretary Malin Stensønes. – Our experience of it is that the follow-up is far too weak and far too random, unfortunately. Signe says many women who have had an abortion are told to contact the health centre. – The last place in the world we want to go is to the health centre, where we will meet other pregnant women and newborn babies. The letter to the politicians from Sanitetskvinnenne Dear Stortingsrepresentative, Norwegian Women’s Sanitary Association is Norway’s largest women’s organization with 44,000 members across the country. We own and operate a large number of not-for-profit businesses ranging from large hospitals that supply specialist services to municipal care homes. We are also a large national emergency response organization with 5,000 emergency response volunteers. We are writing to you now because this autumn the Storting will pass a law that is of great importance for women in this country – a proposal for a new abortion law. The sanitary women support the proposal for an extension of women’s self-determination to week 18. We know a lot about women and termination of pregnancy in Norway. Of the planned terminations of pregnancy, 85% are carried out within week 9, by week 12 the figure is 95%. In other words, women seek termination of pregnancy as early as possible. Within the current legislation, there is a possibility of termination of pregnancy after week 12, with the woman having her case heard in court. Many women experience this as a great burden in an already demanding situation. Of the applications that come to the tribunal, 97% are approved. In our view, the new law is a formalization of what is currently the practice. The sanitary women are critical of the tribunal system as we know many people experience this as a great burden. We therefore believe that the Storting majority should replace the current court system with counseling after week 18 or other supportive measures. Abortion is for many a very difficult choice. It is important for the sanitary women that we work with the prevention of abortion, including through accessible and free contraception for young women and men. The sanitary women also work together with Amathea and believe that the offer should be expanded so that women across the country have access to and are met with proper advice based on knowledge and empathy. The government proposes to legislate the right to follow-up after a planned termination of pregnancy. The same right is not granted to women who miscarry, although the need for follow-up may be greater there. The sanitary women therefore ask that you equate the statutory right to follow-up after termination of pregnancy to apply to all women, regardless of whether the termination of pregnancy is planned or occurs spontaneously. Norske Kvinners Sanitetsforening is a major provider of knowledge in women’s health. We attach a fact sheet about our positions and are happy to help elaborate on these. We further hope that all parties free their representatives so that they can vote in line with their convictions on such an important value issue of such great importance to the country’s women. Published 24.10.2024, at 17.04
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