The issue of access to abortion in Poland has been widely discussed in the international community. It's alarming that even today, in a European country, it's not legal to purchase abortion pills such as mifepristone and misoprostol.

According to annual surveys, thousands of women have sought help from international organisations to access pharmacological or medical abortion. Women on Web, Women Help Women, and various "aunties," such as Aunt Basia in Berlin, have assisted in accessing these pills. Recently, the Dutch government declared to offer help to Polish women seeking abortion.

On April 24, 2024, the Dutch parliament passed a law to support Polish women seeking pharmacological abortions. This law allows any Polish woman to receive abortion pills after a consultation with an online doctor. The effort was led by MP Elke Slagt-Tichelman, who stated in an interview with TVN24, "If a woman does not want to be pregnant, she may find ways to remove it, but this may be dangerous for her health or even her life."

The specific regulations of the law will be determined by medical professionals. The Dutch government has stated that specialists will create detailed guidelines for remote doctor consultations to make abortions more accessible for Polish women. Elke Slagt-Tichelman stated in an interview with TVN24 that "Health professionals need to develop detailed guidelines on how to perform remote doctor consultations that will make abortion easier for Polish women. This will take some time, but everything is moving in the right direction."

To initiate the process of getting abortion pills, a remote medical consultation is necessary, where women seeking help will have a conversation with a doctor to ensure that there are no medical contraindications to taking them. The Abortion Dream Team, a non-governmental organisation in Poland that supports women in abortion and advocates for reproductive rights, is already part of this project.

Natalia Broniarczyk reported, "We are eager to involve aid organisations in this initiative, especially one like ours, to act as an intermediary. A person calls us, and we sign them up for an online consultation with a doctor from the Netherlands. If an interpreter is needed, we also provide one. After the consultation, the doctor sends the abortion pills directly to the patient's address."

Patients also have the option of registering themselves. If doctors find no medical contraindications, a packet of abortion pills will be sent to the patient with instructions on how to take them.

Source: TVN24