Anti-abortion federation demands legal overhaul to let doctors steer women’s abortion choices
At a parliamentary panel, the Federação Portuguesa pela Vida called for law changes so health professionals can influence women seeking abortions.
The Federação Portuguesa pela Vida used a panel at the Assembleia da República to demand that Portugal’s abortion law be revised to permit health-care workers to affect women’s choices. Moderator Tiago Mota stressed that the Serviço Nacional de Saúde is “pro-choice” because doctors cannot discuss alternatives. Family doctor Eva Palha explained how she probes patients’ motives and attempts to help them avoid abortion, while noting professional risks under current rules.
FPV referenced the 2015 amendment, later repealed after the October elections, which had let conscientious objectors participate in consultations and counseling. The organization also seeks reinstating compulsory pre-abortion counseling and giving objectors authority to intervene, proposals championed by former ethics council president Miguel Oliveira da Silva. Their demands could alter patient autonomy and the legal limits on medical influence in reproductive care.
Why it matters
The proposal could change how Portuguese women access abortions by allowing doctors to shape their decisions.
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