Abortion in Sweden
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Abortion in Sweden was first legislated by the Abortion Act of 1938. This stated that an abortion could be legally performed in Sweden upon medical, humanitarian, or eugenical grounds. That is, if the pregnancy constituted a serious threat to the woman's life, if she had been impregnanted by rape, or if there was a considerable chance that any serious condition might be inherited by her child, she can request an abortion. The law was later augmented in 1946 to include socio-medical grounds and again in 1963 to include the risk of serious fetal damage. A committee investigated whether these conditions were met in each individual case, and, as a result of this prolonged process, abortion was often not granted until the middle of the second trimester. As such, a new law was created.
The current legislation is the Abortion Act of 1974. This states that up until the end of the twelfth week of the pregnancy the choice of an abortion is entirely up to the woman, for any reason whatsoever, as long as the abortion procedure does not constitute a serious threat to the woman's health. From the thirteenth through 18th week, a "special investigation" has to be conducted to make sure that no serious threat to the woman's health is at hand. After the 18th week, abortions can only be conducted if there are "extraordinary circumstances", and never if the fetus is deemed "life-capable", i.e. can survive with the help of an incubator. In practice this means that abortions are never allowed after the 22nd week.
The issue is largely settled, the question of the legality of abortion is not a political issue, and no relevant debates exist on the matter.
[edit] See also
Albania · Andorra · Armenia2 · Austria · Azerbaijan1 · Belarus · Belgium · Bosnia and Herzegovina · Bulgaria · Croatia · Cyprus2 · Czech Republic · Denmark · Estonia · Finland · France · Georgia1 · Germany · Greece · Hungary · Iceland · Ireland · Italy · Kazakhstan1 · Latvia · Liechtenstein · Lithuania · Luxembourg · Republic of Macedonia · Malta · Moldova · Monaco · Montenegro · Netherlands · Norway · Poland · Portugal · Romania · Russia1 · San Marino · Serbia · Slovakia · Slovenia · Spain · Sweden · Switzerland · Turkey1 · Ukraine · United Kingdom
Dependencies, autonomies and other territories
Abkhazia1 · Adjara2 · Åland · Akrotiri and Dhekelia · Crimea · Faroe Islands · Gibraltar · Guernsey · Isle of Man · Jersey · Kosovo · Nagorno-Karabakh2 · Nakhichevan2 · Transnistria · Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus2, 3
1 Has significant territory in Asia. 2 Entirely in West Asia, but considered European for cultural, political and historical reasons. 3 Only recognised by Turkey.
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