BUDAPEST – Dozens of women from Hungary are traveling to Austria every week to terminate their pregnancies owing to strict laws at home.
Abortions are legal in Hungary but women are preferring Austria due to the humiliating treatment and waiting lists in their home country.
As far as legal position is concerned, surgical abortions are legal until the 12th week in Hungary but for that, women are required to attend two mandatory meetings with a state service. The first one is to inform them of other options, including adoption while the second training’s aim is to inform them of the dangers of the surgery.
Though the training gives them a chance to reflect on their decision, there is a downside as well because these services are incredibly busy and women can run out of time.
Meanwhile, there is no law in Hungary that would clearly ban traveling for abortion. The women are preferring to travel to Austria despite the cost associated with it.
In the Austrian clinics, the cost of an abortion is between €500-600, excluding travel, while on the other hand, abortions in Hungary cost €100, Euronews reported.
In some cases, the women in Hungary were asked to wait for a month for an abortion, prompting them to explore options in Austria.
In Hungary, only surgical abortions are allowed, despite the acute shortage of doctors in the country, which results in long waiting lists and consequently pushing women to go to Austria.
