TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — They were banned under Soviet dictator Josef Stalin but commonplace under later Kremlin leaders.
Now, after less than a century, official attitudes about abortion in Russia are changing once again.
Although abortion is still legal and widely available, new restrictions are being considered as President Vladimir Putin takes an increasingly socially conservative turn and seeks to reverse Russia's declining population.
In 2012, the number of “social reasons” for allowing abortion between weeks 12 and 22 was cut to just in the case of rape.
He also moved to restrict abortion pills, which are approved to be taken to end a pregnancy in the first 10 weeks.
Persons:
—, Josef Stalin, Vladimir Putin, ”, Lina Zharin, we’re, Michele Rivkin, natalist ”, Rivkin, Fish, Mikhail Gorbachev's, Boris Yeltsin, Lyubov, ” Rivkin, Tatyana Golikova, Mikhail Murashko
Organizations:
Kremlin, Orthodox Church, University of North, Abortion, Conservative, Russian Association of Population, Health, Russian Association for Population, Development, Health Ministry
Locations:
TALLINN, Estonia, Russia, Kaliningrad, University of North Carolina, Chapel, —