The Catholic Church and reproductive freedom in Italy, part 2 of 2: Abortion and legislation

First of all, excuse me for the long absence. A full-time job out of nowhere interfered with my plans of spending all day long writing blogs about Italy! But now, on to the second instalment of my theme on the catholic church and reproductive freedom in Italy.

Abortion has been legal in Italy since 1978. Due to lobbying from Catholic organisations a condition was put into legislation which allowed doctors to refuse to carry out abortions on grounds of their religious beliefs. This is also the case in other European countries, but after the jump I will get to why it is particularly problematic in Italy.

The Catholic Church and reproductive freedom in Italy, part 1 of 2: Emergency contraception

So here have you my first “real” blog entry. I'm basing the information on a number of Italian articles on the subject (linked throughout). Consider this an attempt to spread the news outside Italy.

A remark I often hear when talking to Italians is that, ”Il problema dell'Italia è che abbiamo la chiesa a casa”; ”Italy's problem is that we have the church within our home.” With this they refer to the profound influence of the Catholic Church and the Vatican on a number of issues in Italian society, which are elsewhere in the world solved without glancing towards Papa Ratzinger's opinion on the matter.

An example: emergency contraception, also known as morning-after pills. In other European countries you can buy this without a prescription, in some you do need to shortly speak to a doctor first, before getting a prescription and perhaps some admonishing words along the way. Where in Denmark these pills have been sold freely the last ten years or so, in Italy you need a prescription, and the doctor can refuse to prescribe it if he or she is a Catholic.

How so? Read more after the jump.