Sweden is considering major revisions to its abortion laws following an inquiry presented to the government last week. The proposed changes include permitting at-home DIY abortions, removing the requirement for abortions to be done only in medical facilities, and adopting gender-neutral language. While these measures are framed as a response to medical advancements and evolving social norms, they raise significant concerns about women’s health and safety.
Sweden’s abortion law, introduced in 1974, legalized abortion on demand up to 18 weeks and has remained largely unchanged. In June 2023, the government launched an inquiry led by Inga-Maj Andersson, a registered nurse, midwife, and doctor of medicine, to evaluate potential updates, including the growing prevalence of at-home abortions.
“The Abortion Act is almost fifty years old and needs to be modernized,” Minister of Health Acko Ankarberg Johansson said in a press release. “Not least, the law needs to be adapted to the medical developments that have occurred, such as the fact that today a greater number of medical abortions are performed that do not require hospital care. The report’s proposal is a welcome step towards updated legislation.”
A central recommendation of the inquiry is to allow women to take the abortion pill at home. Currently, the abortion pill regimen — consisting of mifepristone, which blocks the pregnancy hormone progesterone, and misoprostol, which induces contractions and expels the body of the child — is administered under medical supervision. This method has become increasingly common in the United States, accounting for 63% of abortions within the U.S. healthcare system, according to the Guttmacher Institute.
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Despite claims that at-home abortion is safe, research shows that chemical abortions are four times more dangerous than first-trimester surgical abortions. Research carried out by Gynuity, a pro-abortion research institute, found that six percent (6%) of women who take the abortion pill will require care at an emergency room or urgent care facility — and that is believed to be a low estimate due to underreporting. Without proper medical oversight, complications such as severe hemorrhaging, infection, and incomplete abortion become more likely. The absence of pre-abortion ultrasounds or blood tests also increases the risk of undiagnosed ectopic pregnancies, which can be fatal.
Additionally, many women are unprepared for the extreme pain and heavy bleeding associated with chemical abortion, leaving them distressed and vulnerable without immediate medical assistance. Expanding access to abortion pills without medical supervision could put more women at risk of serious health complications.
The inquiry also proposes updating the language of Sweden’s abortion law to be gender-neutral, replacing terms like “woman” with “the person who is pregnant.” This change, while intended to be inclusive, minimizes the fact that abortion policy primarily affects women and their unique health needs.
“Nowadays, it’s possible for someone who is legally male to become pregnant, and they should also have the right to an abortion,” Andersson stated, according to The Local Sweden. She insisted, “This does not negatively affect the right to abort for women, it’s still a women’s rights issue.”
Beyond these measures, the inquiry suggests clarifying the legal right to abortion and ensuring healthcare providers offer timely access to abortion services. The government will now review the report before determining whether to proceed with these changes.
