2016 is the year of Parliamentarian elections in the Russian Federation and some of the MPs have already changed their position on reproductive rights for non-electing seats in the Upper Chamber (Federation Council). One of them was MP Elena Mizulina former Head of Committee on the issues of Women, Family and Children who is at the same time a leading person of Russian conservative anti-choice legislation force. Together with two other Members of the Federal Council Dr. Lakhova (the Leader of “Women of Russiaâ€) and LDPR Member Mrs. Afanasieva, Elena Mizulina introduced a new Draft Law proposal with additional restrictions for women obtaining abortion services. In the last five years similar proposals were rejected by Russian Parliament three times already due to negative replies from the Government (MOH), however the group of newly appointed women-Senators has registered this Draft once again.
“In order to rule out the uncontrolled use of pharmaceutical drugs destined for interruption of pregnancy, we suggest the introduction of a direct ban on their retail sales and also make up a full list of organizations that will receive the right to buy them wholesale,†reads the explanation offered by the authors of the Draft Law. Although these products were never sold at the pharmacies in Russia, they are bought by the clinics and hospitals and are then provided for free or on commercial base to the patients with the mandatory doctors` consultation and under medical control only. It is quite clear that in case this proposal is voted, both Mifepristone-containing and other Emergency Contraception (EC) medications with Levonorgestrel (Postinor and Escapell) will be blown off from the pharmacies.
It is quite a common mistake to confuse pharmaceutical abortion with post coital contraception – but it is really worrying when it is made by legislators.
The RAPD “Rowan Bunch†Coalition experts consider that it is done by the Draft Law authors on purpose, since anti-choice is struggling on one hand with abortions, and at the same time with modern contraceptive means (especially with EC) on the other.
