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Accepted Paper:
"The first difficulty is time": gestational age limits and time in abortion travel
Silvia De Zordo
(University of Barcelona)
Giulia Zanini
(Ca' Foscari University of Venice)
Joanna Mishtal
(University of Central Florida)
In this paper we explore the experiences of pregnant people who travelled abroad for abortion care due to gestational age limits, drawing on findings from a five-year European research project, and we reflect upon the clash between legal/medical pregnancy time, bodily time, and social time.
Paper long abstract:
In this paper, we examine how women and pregnant people crossing national borders to access abortion care from countries where abortion is legal experience the gestational age (GA) limits established by the laws in their countries of residence. First, we illustrate the fragmented landscape of European legislations, which establish different time limits for abortion on broad grounds, or on request, interpreted in different ways by the medical authorities and abortion providers of each country. Then, drawing on findings from a five-year research project funded by the European Research Council and carried out in England, Netherlands, and Spain (ERC BAR2LEGAB project), we explore the experiences of pregnant people who have travelled abroad to seek abortion care because they had exceeded GA limits. In particular, we reflect upon: 1) the clash between legal/medical pregnancy time, bodily time, and social time; 2) the impact of GA limits on participants' everyday time, as well as on the time (often delayed) of abortion care. We argue that GA limits express the legislators' moral concerns for the fetus' "life" and do not take into account how bodily time and social time shape life and pregnancy time in different and complex ways. Those who need an abortion beyond time restrictions thus may have to travel abroad, which exposes them to further challenges and health risks, and, therefore, deepens existing social and gender inequalities.