On December 12, 2018, Katarina Barley (SPD), Franziska Giffey (SPD), Jens Spahn (CDU) and Helge Braun (CDU) presented a key issues paper on “Improving information and care in pregnancy conflicts”.
“As the Alliance for Sexual Self-Determination, we strongly criticize the key issues paper, as the proposed measures will not improve the situation of doctors, pregnancy conflict counselling centres and unwanted pregnant women overall. On the contrary, the planned measures will contribute to additional stigmatization of abortions and unwanted pregnancies. Against this backdrop, the promised creation of legal certainty for doctors by amending Section 219a StGB is hypocritical.” This was explained by Ines Scheibe, spokesperson for the Alliance for Sexual Self-Determination (BfsS), member of the executive committee of the Humanist Association of Germany (HVD) and herself active in pregnancy conflict counseling.
Instead of deleting Section 219a StGB, as demanded by a majority of experts and those affected, a study on the “frequency and severity of psychological consequences of abortions” is to be commissioned. Disc continues: “Unfortunately, the paper clearly shows that Christian fundamentalists and self-proclaimed pro-lifers have prevailed in the German government. The “post-abortion syndrome” postulated here, i.e. an increased risk of a mental disorder as a result of an abortion, is a scientifically long-disproved myth that radical opponents of abortion constantly use to stir up fears. I find it scandalous that this myth is now reflected in this paper.”
The Humanist Association of Germany is a founding member of the Alliance for Sexual Self-Determination and has already repeatedly called on the German government to repeal §219a in order to secure the right to information for those affected and to create legal certainty for doctors.
The original press release of the Alliance for Sexual Self-Determination can be found here.
