The majority of doctors are against the ban on the sale of drugs for abortion

The majority of doctors surveyed by the professional service “Vrachat’s Directory” are against restricting the free sale of drugs for the termination of pregnancy. According to the survey, 59% of doctors expressed a negative attitude to this measure of increasing birth rates, 19% reported a neutral position, and 22% approved the initiative, Kommersant writes.

Poll participants believe that banning the free sale of abortion drugs will lead to an increase in the number of criminal abortions (87%) and an increase in maternal mortality (44%), to a high percentage of abandonment of children and cases of infanticide, as well as to an increase in “medical tourism” . Only 10% of the surveyed doctors believe that such measures can reduce the number of abortions and ensure an increase in the birth rate.

In addition, almost half (45%) of doctors believe that only the woman’s opinion should be taken as decisive in relation to abortion, and 33% – that it should be the couple’s decision. Regarding emergency contraception (immediately after sexual intercourse), half of the doctors spoke in favor of a woman’s free choice, and only 5% agreed that emergency contraception is considered medical abortion and should be prohibited.

Doctors were also asked how effective prevention of unwanted pregnancies should be carried out. 77% of respondents said that it is necessary to increase the income of the population. 71% spoke in favor of large-scale educational work with state support and sufficient funding. Half of the survey participants consider it necessary to increase financial support for young families and single mothers. 55% of respondents said about state contraception programs for low-income citizens, 44% mentioned sex education classes in schools and universities.

“Kommersant” turned to several gynecologists with a request to comment on the poll, but they all refused, stating that the topic had a “political context.”

• According to Rosstat data, the relative birth rate from January to June of the current year, 8.5 children per 1,000 people, has become one of the worst in the modern history of Russia. This indicator was lower only in 1999 – 8.3 children per 1,000 people.
• The Kremlin forbade the controlled mass media to report on the minimum birth rate in Russia during the rule of Vladimir Putin.
• In mid-July, the head of the Russian Ministry of Health, Mikhail Murashko, after a meeting with United Russia deputies, stated that Russia intends to make it more difficult to access drugs for abortion.
• According to the analytical company RNC Pharma, in 2022, the demand of Russians for drugs for the termination of pregnancy increased immediately by 50-60 percent. Experts believe that such a dynamic is connected with women’s doubts about the need to give birth to children in the current political environment.