Abortion in the Netherlands

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Abortion in the Netherlands was fully legalized on 1 November 1984, allowing elective abortion up to the 24th week of the pregnancy.^[1] Abortion for "serious medical reasons" can be performed after 24 weeks.^[2] There used to be a mandatory five-day waiting period for abortions done after one's menstrual period is 17 days overdue.^[3] However, on 21 June 2022, Dutch parliament approved a law to scrap the mandatory five-day reflection period before undergoing an abortion, saying women with a joint consultation with the doctor, should be able to determine the time before making a decision. The law went into effect in January 2023.^[4][5]