Denmark Will Allow Under-18s Right to Abortion Without Parental Consent
(Bloomberg) -- Denmark’s government plans to allow women aged 15 to 17 to get an abortion without consent from their parents, as the Nordic country marked the 50th anniversary of the right to choose.
Most Read from Bloomberg
Apple Plans to Turn Locked iPhones Into Smart Displays With iOS 17
McCarthy Signals Debt Deal Optimism as US Put on Credit Watch
World’s Biggest Nuclear Plant May Stay Closed Due to Papers Left on Car Roof
First Republic’s $35 Million Banker Outearned JPMorgan’s Dimon Before Bust
“Abortion can be associated with many emotions, guilt and shame,” Marie Bjerre, the Danish minister for equality, said in a tweet on Wednesday. “It can be humiliating and have major consequences to have to ask for parental consent when you are under 18. We want to put an end to that.”
Women living in Denmark have the right to an abortion up until the 12th week of pregnancy and don’t have to provide a justification for their decision. But currently, abortion is only legal for women under 18 if they have permission from parents or guardians.
Lawmakers are also discussing allowing abortions up into the second trimester.
According to an October report from the Center for Reproductive Rights, a legal advocacy group, more than 95% of people of reproductive age in Europe live in countries that allow abortion on request or what the group defines as “broad social grounds.”
Read more: Abortion Debate Is Rekindled in Europe After US Rollback of Roe
(Updates with data on abortion access in Europe in the final paragraph.)
Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek
Sergey Brin Has a Secret Plan to Put Airships Back in the Skies
The Man Who Spends $2 Million a Year to Look 18 Is Swapping Blood With His Father and Son
©2023 Bloomberg L.P.
