Heated birth control debate in Polish parliament

The session was discussing a bill on the pill, and the governing Law and Justice (PiS) party's members argued that emergency contraceptives are dangerous and can cause miscarriage.

Health Minister Konstanty Radziwiłł said making the morning-after pill a prescription-only medication “will enable women to get a doctor's opinion, get advice, about whether these substances negatively affect health”.

But opposition MPs said the planned changes would stop women from receiving the contraceptive in time for it to work and could see abortion rates rise.

Meanwhile, women's rights activists said that the government's policy was “inhumane”.

“You do not want abortions, you threaten a total [abortion] ban, but you do everything to put women in a position to make that choice,” one of the activists said.

(vb/pk)

Source: PAP