Doctors have so far not been allowed to advertise abortions – according to the coalition agreement, that should change. The doctor Kristina Hänel on her long fight against §219a – and what really helps women with the difficult decision.
Interview by
Laura Hertreiter and Nele Pollatschek
Abortions are illegal in Germany, and it looks like it will stay that way for the time being. Nevertheless, the general practitioner Kristina Hänel celebrated when the topic was mentioned in the new coalition agreement on Wednesday. Because paragraph 219a of the Criminal Code is to be deleted. It forbids doctors to publicly inform about abortions. Kristina Hänel, 63, has been campaigning against this ban for years, and for more information and self-determination for your patients. She was sued several times, and even convicted in 2017. At the beginning of the year she filed a constitutional complaint against the paragraph, which is now to be removed.