Horrors Of Wartime: Amidst Spike In Rape Cases In Ukraine, Women Suffer Due To Lack Of Access To Abortion, Contraception
We’ve all heard of the horrors of wartime but Ukraine is currently experiencing them and to say that they’re horrific would really be an understatement. While two nations engage in a war, the common people suffer. With war crimes on the rise, women and children are the ones being targeted in this war. Amid the Russia-Ukraine war, there have been far too many rape allegations made against Russian troops by Ukrainian women and each other is more brutal than the other. And now, as the reports of rape following the Russian invasion continue to spike, Ukrainian hospitals are making efforts to obtain more emergency contraceptives to prevent unwanted pregnancies among the rape victims. On the other hand, there are several rape survivors and pregnant Ukrainian women who have entered Poland as refugees and are in urgent need of medical assistance including access to emergency contraceptives as well as abortion. But the near-total ban on abortion in the country has made it impossible for the rape survivors and refugees access to these treatments in case they wish to terminate an unwanted pregnancy.
Efforts Under Way To Procure More Emergency Contraceptives In Ukraine Hospitals
According to media reports, International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) has sent across about 2,880 packets of emergency contraceptives aka morning-after pill to Ukraine. On the other hand, a network of volunteers across Europe is in the process of collecting donations in the form of medications from other countries and delivering them to the hospitals in Ukraine. According to a report by The Guardian, an IPPF official shared that timeframe is important when treating victims of sexual violence. She shared that if a woman is seen within 5 days of an incident of sexual violence, she should be administered the medication. She further added that the organisation is also sending medical abortion pills to Ukraine. These pills can be used to terminate pregnancies of up to 24 weeks.
Also Read: Russian Soldier Rapes 16-Year-Old Pregnant Ukrainian Girl, Says “Sleep With Me Or I Will Bring 20 More Men”
For the uninitiated, there was no supply shortage of emergency contraceptives in Ukraine but the war destroyed the supply chain leading to a displacement of the healthcare workers, providers and patients amid the increasing rate of sexually violent crimes. Speaking about the need to prevent unwanted pregnancies in the cases of sexual assaults, the IPPF official said that the survivors usually have multiple psychological, emotional and physical health issues and having to deal with the stress of possible pregnancy is extremely stressful for these women and can lead to PTSD and other mental health issues which is why it is essential to avoid it in the first place.
Refugee Rape Survivors And Pregnant Women Suffer Due To Anti-Abortion Laws In Poland
Sexual assault and rape are not just physically violent crimes but also emotionally and mentally violent. But the torture of Ukrainian women didn’t just stop at rape because a large number of women and children have fled their homes and taken refuge in neighbouring countries, Poland being one of them. According to media reports, Poland has nearly 3 million refugees from Ukraine. Of these people, many are rape and sexual assault survivors and pregnant women in need of medical attention but due to the near-total ban on abortion in the country, these women continue to suffer. In Poland, abortions are legal only in cases where pregnancy is a result of a criminal act or if the life and health of the woman are at risk. In 2021, the courts in Poland ruled that abortions in cases of foetal abnormalities is unconstitutional and banned those as well. According to a report by Times Now, the doctors and volunteers in Poland are also helpless as they are unable to help the rape survivors due to the fear of facing criminal charges for providing the refugees access to abortions and contraceptive pills. Reports also suggest that even though the law allows rape survivors access to abortion and contraception, the same is not being provided to these Ukrainian women.
Also Read: Russian Soldiers ‘Systematically Raped’ 25 Ukrainian Women, 9 Of Which Are Pregnant. This Is Terrible
TBH, knowing all of this is just plain painful. Sadly, the pain of these rape survivors continues even after leaving their countries. And having to deal with pregnancies caused by rape is not only painful but emotionally scarring and traumatising. As if the trauma of being raped wasn’t bad enough, now these women have to suffer
