Access to sexual and reproductive health services during the COVID-19 pandemic (April, 2020)

Media reports as well as reports from NGOs show that some health care facilities in Slovakia restricted women's right to a birth companion of her choice during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, some health care facilities deny women access to pain relief (epidural analgesia), or perform caesarean section, or separate women from their newborns without proper medical indication. Some doctors are using the COVID-19 pandemic to suspend abortion care.

The Public Defender of Rights is concerned that these practices are not in line with international human rights standards and World Health Organization’s guidelines... (read more)