dividual states have the right to determine abortion laws. Republican party have stepped up their anti-abortion offensive.
Because of medical advances abortion is now a straightforward and safe procedure. More women world-wide have access to abortion, either through public health or private clinics, than ever before. But the issue of abortion has become a major political fight in tne ÚS, Australia, Ireland and the countries of the former eastern bloc.
Restrictive
Louisiana and Pennsylvania have already passed restrictive abortion laws. Louisiana's law makes abortion illegal except in cases of direct threat to the woman's life, or in cases of rape and incest - and in these cases only in the first three months of pregnancy.
In Pennsylvania abortions for women under 18 require parental permission, and the compulsory 'counselling' of women contemplating abortions.
14 states have highly restrictive anti-abortion laws in the pipeline; there are only 10 of the US states where abortion is not highly restricted.
Against this, a Reproductive Freedom Bill is now before Congress, which would restore unrestricted right to abortion. Bill Clinton says he supports it, but has shied clear of the abortion issue in the campaign, in the face of the extreme right-wing programme adopted by the Republicans.
US anti-abortion campais ners have staged wellpublicised sieges of abortion clinics, harassing and physically threatening women. Arson attacks and bombings have also occurred. Last July the United States Supreme Court sanctioned a massive attack on abortion rights through its judgement on the Roe us Wade case. This supported the 1989 decision that inSince 1989 virtually every state has voted on proposed amendments to abortion laws, as the 'moral majority' (sic), especially those connected with Christian fundamentalism and the right wing of the march in Washington, mobilising three quarters of a million people, was probably the big gest demonstration ever in US history. The attack on abortion rights has spread to include attacks on access to contraception. Over the last five years, research programmes to develop new contraceptives has fallen 50 per cent; this is largely due to the anti-abortionists claim that new techniques amount to Despite the fact that the US has the highest teenage pregnancy rate of any advanced country, now the anti-abortionists are launching a campaign against sex education in schools. The attack on abortion and contraception is growing in eastern Europe. In Bulgaria, because of inflation, contraception has become a luxury. In Hungary the constitutional court is to make a ruling on the legality of existing liberal legislation soon. In Czechoslovakia, because of market reforms, abortion for most women will become very expensive. Regulations The attack is worst in Poland. In May 1990 new regulations were imposed requiring written approval by three doctors on medical and psychological grounds before an abortion could go ahead. But the application of this regulation has been subject to a