NORWAY

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NORWAY | Interview with Dr. Kari Løvendahl Mogstad

translated from Norwegian

Interviewer: The Norwegian abortion law has remained virtually unchanged since 1975, with self-determined abortion until the end of the 12th week of pregnancy. But last December, the Norwegian Parliament passed a new abortion law that will take effect on June 1, 2025, extending the period for self-determination to the end of the 18th week of pregnancy. 

What do you think about the new law, and do you see it as a substantial change or a symbolic change, given that even under the previous law, very few abortion applications (less than 1.5 % in 2022) were rejected after the 12th week of pregnancy?

(The question was cut from the audio to shorten the clip).

Dr. Mogstad: I understand why many people wonder why we have an abortion board at all, when so few abortions are denied, and I understand why there’s been such a debate about extending abortion rights. I also understand why the abortion law had to change, increasing self-determined abortion from the 12^th week of pregnancy to the end of the 18^th week. However, personally, I see many positive aspects of the abortion board. 

So many women seeking abortion are struggling with ambivalence and want help talking through the decision. I don’t think these women experience us, the abortion board members, as judges standing over them saying yes or no. On the contrary, we discuss their ambivalence, even after abortion is approved, and many women have wanted and requested counseling from board members. They see the value in discussing their ambivalence with professionals. I don't believe that increasing the right to self-determination from the twelfth to the eighteenth week is going to remove their dilemmas and ambivalence. On the contrary, by removing abortion boards from the twelfth week, women might now be sitting more alone with their choices, without anyone to talk to. So, I understand that the laws had to change, however, the abortion boards are not all negative and we do not yet know the full extent of the new law will mean for Norwegian women.

Interviewer: Regarding talking through the decision with professionals – there's a big difference between using services like Amathea, getting professional help to make your own decision, and meeting an abortion board where others make the final decision for you. Many women find that threatening. What if, instead of an abortion board, women could go to a counselor or someone that could help them make a final decision, but where they ultimately make that decision for themselves?

Dr. Mogstad: My impression is that most women can make their decision on their own, however, many women need help. A few years ago, women automatically met with their general practitioner before taking an abortion because they needed a signed letter from their doctor in order to request an abortion. These days, women can call up the hospital and request an abortion on their own, without having to even visit the doctor's office. While they don’t have to see us [their general practitioners], many women come see us anyway, just to talk through their choices, and many women speak with people from Amathea as well, of course. As general practitioners, we clearly tell our patients that they must take the final decision, not us, but we can help them get there. 

Interviewer: You tell them that as a general practitioner and working at Amathea, but what about as a member of the abortion board?

Dr. Mogstad: Yes, even as a member of the abortion board, at least in my experience. I’ve been very focused helping women work through their ambivalence, even as a board member. Women need support, whether they are going through with the pregnancy or the abortion. Thus, part of our tasks as board members is to map their social networks. Some people come to us without having spoken to anyone, not even their partner, if they have one. We encourage women to speak with someone – partners, friends, parents, siblings – before taking the abortion pill. Even when we have told patients that they can complete the abortion, we ask them to go home and think about it and talk to someone. That way, whatever they choose to do, they have shared it with someone, and they are not alone. Even though it may seem simple, having an abortion is not easy, and many women struggle. I believe talking with someone can help remove some of the shame, whether they want to have an abortion or not, and for that, the board can be valuable.

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