Abortion in the Netherlands

[3] However, on 21 June 2022, Dutch parliament approved a law to scrap the mandatory five-day reflection period before undergoing an abortion, saying women with a joint consultation with the doctor, should be able to determine the time before making a decision.

The Morality Acts of 1911 closed this loophole,[6] and strictly barred all abortions, except those performed to save the life of the pregnant woman.

Legalization reached the forefront of public debate in the Netherlands during the 1970s as many other Western European countries liberalized their laws.

A controversial abortion law was passed in 1981 with single swing votes: 76 for and 74 against in the House of Representatives, and 38 for and 37 against in the Senate.

In the Netherlands, abortion performed by a certified clinic or hospital is effectually allowed at any point between conception and viability, till 2022 subject to a five-day waiting period.

In practice, abortions are performed until approximately 24 weeks into pregnancy, although this limit is the topic of ongoing discussion among physicians in the Netherlands, since, due to recent medical advancements, a fetus can sometimes be considered viable prior to 24 weeks.

This is a procedure that uses a vacuum or suction device as a source to remove an embryo or fetus from the womb.