The controversial paragraph 219a on the advertising ban was a topic in the Bundestag today.
A decision was made as to whether doctors would soon be allowed to provide information about such an operation without being punished.
An unwanted pregnancy is an extremely stressful situation for those affected.
A difficult decision has to be made: do I keep the child, do I put it up for adoption, or do I have an abortion?
Extensive education and information is particularly important in such situations.
But this is precisely where legal restrictions existed in the past.
According to paragraph 219a, gynecologists were not allowed to suggest a possible abortion to their patients without making themselves liable to prosecution.
But today, on July 26, 2022, this paragraph was overturned in the Bundestag.
As the German Press Agency (dpa) also informed, the lifting of the controversial advertising ban for abortions was decided in the Bundestag today.
According to the dpa, a large majority of MPs voted in favor of the government draft to delete the corresponding law paragraph 219a from the penal code.
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Doctors will soon be able to inform unwanted pregnant women more easily about abortions.
© Masha Brichta/dpa
Section 219a of the Criminal Code states: "Anyone who publicly, in a meeting or by disseminating content, for the sake of his pecuniary advantage or in a grossly offensive manner, uses his own or third-party services to carry out or promote an abortion, or any means, objects or processes used for the purpose of aborting the pregnancy suitable, offers, announces, praises or announces statements of such content with reference to this suitability, shall be punished with imprisonment for up to two years or with a fine".
This paragraph was problematic in the past because medical professionals could not comprehensively discuss an abortion without risking prosecution.
But that should be history now.
In addition to the deletion of Section 219a, the Bundestag resolution stipulates that judgments against doctors who have been based on the paragraph since October 3, 1990 are overturned, the dpa informs.
The law still has to be formally passed by the Bundesrat, but it can come into force without the consent of the state chamber, it is said.
List of rubrics: © Mascha Brichta/dpa
