Poland, with near-total abortion ban, to record pregnancies

By VANESSA GERA
Associated Press

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — The right-wing government in Poland, where a near-total abortion ban is in place, now faces accusations it is creating a “pregnancy register.” Poland is expanding the amount of medical data being saved digitally on patients to include pregnancies, blood type and allergies. Critics fear that women will face new a type of surveillance due to that data in the state health system. They say the data could be used by police and prosecutors against women whose pregnancies end, even in miscarriages, or that women could be tracked by the state if they seek to order abortion pills or travel abroad for an abortion. Poland’s conservative ruling party has tightened what was already one of Europe’s most restrictive abortion laws.