Our reader, Iwona, wanted to have her fallopian tubes tied. Since she couldn't do it in Poland, she started asking her friends living in other countries how it works there.
Sterilization is Often Suggested to Multiparous Women in Other Countries
I have a friend in Austria, and she said that in Vienna, after giving birth to her second child, she was given a pamphlet about sterilization by a nurse. The entire procedure was described in detail, everything explained. Apparently, it’s considered one of the more popular methods of contraception there, and no one finds it unusual. Many women appreciate it because they don’t have to take hormonal pills every day
- Iwona explains.
I started considering organizing a trip to Austria to undergo sterilization there. I have three children, and both my husband and I know for sure that we don’t want to expand our family any further. However, I can’t understand why it can’t be done in our country, and on top of that, the doctor could go to prison. This is incomprehensible to me.
The woman admits that she discussed it with her friends, and many of them share her opinion and "would take advantage of such an option if it were legal".
Contraceptive Sterilization: Banned in Poland
Sterilization performed as tubal ligation in Poland can only be carried out in two cases: if a potential pregnancy would threaten the woman’s life or health, or if there is a justified suspicion that the child could be burdened with a serious genetic disease. It is prohibited as a method of contraception. According to Article 156 of the Penal Code, a doctor who performs such a procedure at the patient’s request could face up to 10 years in prison.
Sterilization is Available Abroad. According to UN and Council of Europe recommendations, tubal ligation upon request should be available as a method of family planning. This is the case in Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, France, and the United Kingdom. Polish women most frequently travel to the first three countries. In Germany, Dr. Janusz Rudziński is one of the doctors who performs sterilizations, and he notes that the number of inquiries about this procedure is constantly increasing.
Recently, I get about five to seven inquiries a day. I can't personally perform all these procedures, so I refer them to various clinics, to colleagues who are doctors
- he says in an interview with Gazeta.pl. He adds his observations:
Thanks to PiS, the number of abortions and sterilizations in Germany has increased among so-called '500+ women,' as they can now afford this 'luxury.' It's interesting that many young women, aged 20-22, childless, want to undergo this procedure. And they often come from the PiS stronghold, meaning southeastern Poland
- he adds.
