As access to abortions becomes more difficult, volunteers support women terminating pregnancy

Abortion is legal in Croatia until tenth week of pregnancy, however access to abortions is diminishing. According to World Health Organization, the amount of termination procedures per 1,000 live births sharply declined. It was 823 in 1985 as opposed to 67 procedures per 1,000 live births in 2016.Ultra-conservatives and the majority Catholic Church say this reflects the overal attitude of the population. Nevertheless pro-life activists claim that the decline in numbers is due to increased access to contraception, sex education, family planning and fallout from the 2003 amendment which gave doctors the right to conscientious objection. According to Nada Peratović, a lawyer and the founder of the Brave Sisters: “Nearly 60 percent of doctors are now considered conscientious objectors. As a result, many women are forced to have terminations in private clinics or travel abroad at extraordinary cost and danger to themselves.” Conservative groups continue to oppose abortion rights and are advocating for obligatory counselling for every woman considering abortion. Activists are concerned that this would only make lives of women harder.