Abortion in Lithuania

On 27 June 1936, the Soviet Union banned abortions unless there was a danger to the life of the mother or the child would inherit a serious disease from the parents.

Under this law abortions were meant to be performed in maternity homes and hospitals, and physicians who disregarded this risked one to two years' imprisonment.

[4] The Government of the Soviet Union was concerned about the rate of illegal abortions and attempted to decrease their occurrence.

On 31 December 1987, the Soviet Union announced that it would allow many medical institutions to perform abortions until the twenty-eighth week of pregnancy.

[4] Lithuania's low fertility rate, and its Catholic traditions make abortion a controversial political issue, and regular attempts to restrict it occur.