After two votes in the National Assembly and the Senate in one month, Congress approved, on Monday, March 4, the inclusion of abortion rights in the Constitution.
Registered in the Constitution to protect access to abortion and women’s rights, this inclusion is a world first. Indeed, the right to abortion is increasingly threatened abroad, particularly in the United States. As a precaution to ensure that in France this right is respected and not challenged, after a long month, it is finally on Monday, March 4, that the Constitution is amended in favor of women. But let’s revisit what abortion represents and what is put in place for its proper functioning. To find out more, we contacted Family Planning 06 in Nice.
Family Planning 06 is a place for information on issues concerning sexuality, contraception, voluntary termination of pregnancy, STIs, HIV, and violence… A center for the general public, family planning is committed to the youth, with school awareness programs, and also holds stands at numerous events.
Can you define what abortion is? And until when can one decide to terminate a pregnancy?
“Abortion is the act of terminating a pregnancy. It is permitted up to 16 weeks of amenorrhea from the first day of the last menstrual period. This is always confirmed with a dating ultrasound up to 9 weeks of amenorrhea using medication, and beyond that, with aspiration.”
Is there follow-up to support women before and after the procedure?
“In the majority of cases, women do not need to be accompanied, but they can be if they wish. At the hospital, an interview with a psychologist is offered if they want it. And at family planning, when we receive women and direct them for an abortion, we always listen to understand the state and situation of the woman and provide support if needed. In most cases, an abortion is not a problem; it is more of a solution. However, there can be difficult contexts for various reasons. Our role as counselors is also to listen and support in these situations.”
Are there cases where the couple disagrees on the decision? And how does that happen?
“People can come as a couple, of course. It can also happen that within a couple, there is disagreement on the decision, and they need to talk about it with a counselor to reach an agreement. But this is not the most common situation.”
Does family planning handle a lot of requests for terminations of pregnancy?
“About one-third of the consultations we conduct, and we conduct about 900 per year, so 300 people are received for abortion orientation, and a good hundred for a pregnancy test which can also lead to an abortion.”
What infrastructure is available in Nice for women wanting to abort?
“For a woman who wants to have an abortion, there is the hospital, the hospital’s abortion center. And for medical abortions in the city, there are a number of doctors and midwives who are accredited and trained to perform abortions in their offices, but only medical ones.”
