Norway proposes relaxing its abortion law to allow the procedure until 18th week of pregnancy

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Norway’s government says it wants to relax restrictions on abortion for the first time in nearly half a century to make it legal for women to terminate pregnancies up to the 18th week of gestation. Norway’s laws currently allow legal abortions up to 12 weeks, but many pregnant women ask for an abortion after the 12th week and are granted it in hospitals and clinics. Health Minister Jan Christian Vestre said the proposed changes are “in line with practice today” and “almost no one is refused applications for abortion after the 12th week.” He added that “women’s right to self-determined abortion is a fundamental value in Norway.” The law proposal needs a majority in the 169-member Stortinget, or parliament.