France approves bill making abortion easier

Photo credit : yourhealth.asiaone.com

French lawmakers have approved a controversial abortion bill that scraps a requirement for women to prove they are in distress to legally terminate a pregnancy.

The bill will allow women to obtain an abortion at up to 12 weeks into a pregnancy, and also punishes those who try to prevent a woman from going to places where she can receive information on terminating a pregnancy.

The 1975 law stipulated they could only opt for abortion if they could prove that they were in "a situation of distress".

France records around 220,000 abortions a year, and it is estimated that around one in three Frenchwomen undergoes the procedure in her lifetime.

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France approves bill making abortion easier