Because of the war, Ukrainian women and girls are more at risk of unplanned pregnancy, for example through rape or poor access to contraceptives. The United Nations warns about this. “Few women want to get pregnant under these kinds of dramatic circumstances. We have to help them,” Natalia Kanem of the UN told the NOS.
Several international media this week ran a story about a Ukrainian woman who was raped by Russian soldiers. The Dutch police also received the first reports of human trafficking of which Ukrainian women were allegedly victims. Those reports are being investigated.
Contraception is not a priority
Women also have poor access to contraceptives. “Hospitals in Ukraine are being bombed and supplies are running out,” Kanem said.
The Dutch organization Dokters Van De Wereld sends trucks with medical supplies to the country. “But it is difficult to find drivers who dare to drive to Ukrainian hospitals,” says director Jasper Kuipers. “In addition, our number one priority is the delivery of life-saving drugs, such as antibiotics and insulin.” Contraception is therefore not in the trucks.
And women who flee often do not take the pill with them. “If you have to decide what to take in 15 minutes, then birth control isn’t at the top of your list,” Kanem said. The UNFPA therefore distributes contraceptives at the Polish border.
Dokters Van De Wereld operates care buses throughout the Netherlands to provide medical aid to Ukrainian refugees. “Women don’t ask for contraceptives either. With asthma you get stuffy without a puffer, heart rhythm disturbances give a nasty feeling in your chest, but without contraception you don’t feel bad. We have to actively offer it.”
Post-flight abortion
UN research shows that 60 percent of unplanned pregnancies result in abortion. According to the Dutch Association of Abortion Doctors, not many Ukrainian women report to abortion clinics yet, but they expect an increase as the number of refugees increases and the war lasts longer.
She also points to Poland, where by far the most Ukrainian refugees are located and there is no right to abortion. “Many women from Poland already come to the Netherlands for abortions. If you, as a Ukrainian refugee, have an unwanted pregnancy there, then you have no options.”
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