The petitioner shall: Ministry of Health of the Slovak Republic

Name of the petition:
Petitions against the introduction of chemical abortions in Slovakia - Minister do not be abused by progressive ideology to promote abortions–

It's quare: No.

Number of persons supporting the petition: approx. 11 000

Date of delivery: 09.02.20.24

Date of equipment: 18.03.2024

Type of equipment: Paragraph 5 (6) of Law No 85/1990 Coll. on petition law as amended - not evaluated

Reason for equipment:
On 9.02.2024 the Association for Life and Family, o. z., Beňadická 3091/3 851 06 Bratislava (hereinafter referred to as "the "Slovak Association") was delivered to the Slovak Republic on 9.02.2024.civic association–) of 9.2.2024 with the designation "Petitions against the introduction of chemical abortions in Slovakia - Minister do not be abused by progressive ideology to promote abortionsUnder the heading of this civic association, a representative of the public with his signature and a correspondent for the portal CitizenGo. The submission, in the head of the emblems of the civic association and the CitizenGO portal, stated that 11 772 citizens were supported by the petitioner's call through the CitizenGO portal. The USB key in the plastic container was attached. The MZ SR received the submission and after assessing its content found that the filing together with the annexes fulfilled the conditions of the petition for the exercise of the petition law under the Law on Petitions. In the light of the above mentioned MZ SR, the submission in the registration report of MZ SR was registered as a petition which is, according to the content, the nature of the application by petitioners asking the Minister of Health not to be abused by progressive ideology to promote abortion.

In view of the fact that the petition is in the nature of the application, the Ministry of the Slovak Republic was obliged to make a petition within the meaning of § 5 (6) of the Act on petition law, namely that the Ministry of the Slovak Republic, as a public authority competent for the execution of the petition containing the application or proposal, will assess its content and send a written reply together with a justification to the representative of the petitioners within 30 working days of its receipt. Pursuant to § 5d (1) of the Law on Petitions, if the petition is supported by at least 10 000 persons, it will be discussed by the competent public authority with a representative and a petition committee for the whole territory of the Slovak Republic. MZ SR by assessing the submission as well as the documents received by the submitter on the USB key found that the obligation within the meaning of § 5d (1) of the Act on petition law of MZ SR did not arise and as a reason it states the following findings. According to § 4 §. 2 of the Act on petition law, the natural person supporting the petition is obliged to indicate his name, surname, address and signature in the petition or signature sheet. According to par. 3 However, the petition may also be supported by electronic means, whereby, in order to confirm the support of an electronic petition, the person supporting the petition within the meaning of Paragraph 4 (2) (a). (a) the petition law shall state the address of its e-mail instead of its signature. According to the document included in the USB key, marked as Minister, do not be abused by progressive ideology for the promotion of abortions.The petition was supported by 11 772 citizens via the CitizenGO portal. However, the identification details of these persons withdrawn from the CitizenGO portal have only been presented as the name, Surname, State, Signed Thus, none of these persons has complied with the obligation under Paragraph 4 (2) of the Law on Petitions and their support in this case cannot therefore be accepted. It follows from the petition received that only the representative of the Alliance for Life and Family, o.z., fulfilled the obligation under the abovementioned provision of the petition law, since he added his own signature and address to his name as a representative of the public. Since Paragraph 1 (1) of the Act on petition law has the right for everyone to address, alone or with others, matters of public interest or of other common interest with requests, proposals and complaints (hereinafter referred to as petitions) to public authorities, the petition received has been assessed as:

a petition under the law on petitions by a representative of the public himself, without formal support from other persons. On the basis of the above, the Ministry of the Slovak Republic did not conduct the hearing of the petition received within the meaning of § 5d (1) of the Act on petition law.

MZ SR, within the meaning of § 5 (6) of the Act on petition law, submitted the following reply to the petitioner, which is a medically expert opinion of MZ SR on the issue of abortion pill developed in cooperation with the main expert of MZ SR for gynecology and obstetrics.

If this possibility is allowed by law in the country, it is the duty of health professionals to ensure that it is implemented as efficiently as possible in accordance with the medical knowledge of the present. The abortion pill has been available for decades to women in developed countries, where its introduction has shown advantages over classical surgical methods.

Artificial discontinuation/end of pregnancy (hereinafter referred to as "UPT') is always a major physical and psychological intervention of a woman. The role of the doctor is, on the one hand, to inform the woman carefully, indeterminately and intelligiblely of all other options for dealing with unwanted pregnancy and, on the other hand, to inform the woman adequately about the different forms of implementation of UPT (medically or surgically).

The choice of a particular method based on the decision of the woman - the applicant for UPT assesses and approves the doctor. It is only after careful knowledge and consideration of all other options for resolving unwanted pregnancy that the woman approaches that decision.

The standard diagnostic and therapeutic procedure developed (hereinafter referred to as "STTP') is an adaptation of international and national procedures as well as up-to-date publications regarding the medical management of termination of pregnancy at the request of a woman (1-4). The purpose of the SDTP is to establish a uniform procedure for the medical management of UPTs, which aims to:

  1. safe implementation of UPT by medication route to day 49 of amenorrhoe (i.e. 7+0 of gestational week),
  2. the prevention of misuse of medicinal products used in medical UPTs,
  3. the reduction of negative effects of UPT on women, both physical and psychological.

Competences
The provision of healthcare to a woman requesting UPT shall be carried out on:

  1. gynaecological-natal practice (ambulance of gynecologist-born primary contact) - diagnosis and date of pregnancy, information on the options for solving unwanted pregnancy and the recommendation of a woman deciding on UPT at the workplace performing this service

Competent health professionals are:

  1. Doctor specialising in specialization in gynecology and obstetrics (hereinafter referred to as "Gynecologist and obstetrician')
  2. Nurse working at the gynaecological-birth institution/ambulance
  3. Midwife
  4. Psychologist

Definitions

Medicated discontinuation of pregnancy
Medicated discontinuation of pregnancy is a full-fledged alternative to surgical termination of pregnancy (4.5).

Based on the currently available world publications, the medical form of UPT is more friendly to the female organism (absent dilation and probe of the cervical canal, eliminates the risk of uterine perforation as well as infection and resulting complications into the woman's further life). There is no risk of adverse effects/reactions of anaesthesia, trauma due to the need for hospitalisation and pre-surgical examinations that a woman must undergo (internal and anaesthesiological) in which she may experience a negative and judgmental attitude. The medicated form of UPT also has significantly less negative impact on the psychological health of women as well as on the subsequent life and reproductive plans of women. In the following, the answers are to everything that is mentioned in the petition.

Conditions of use
UPT medical management preparations may be issued on the basis of a medical prescription prescribed by a physician (see below). higher part of -competences- and -definitions-).

Preparations may be issued to a medical facility based on exposure to the application form. The preparations are given to the woman directly in the healthcare facility (the woman will take the products under medical supervision) after careful study and signature of the informed consent to the medical UPT.

Registration
Women applying for UPTs are accurately registered in an accredited healthcare facility, thoroughly informed of all options for dealing with unwanted pregnancy, are adequately surveyed in a questionnaire form by the cause of the UPT application and, on the basis of the questionnaire replies, offered the possibility of helping to maintain pregnancy.

Treatment products and dosage
A combination of two active substances is used for medical UPT: mifepriston and misoprostol. This combination is considered the most effective according to currently available studies (Cochrane database). In the world, several preparations containing the active substances are available at different doses. The administration of the medicinal products in question (dose, form, interval of administration) is based on the gestational week, its dose and form of administration, oral, sublingual or vaginal, and the current SPC of the particular preparation (4.5).

The medicated method of ending pregnancy is suitable for most women. Due to the administration of a prostaglandin preparation, it is necessary to respect the current contraindications of administration:

Route of administration
Medicinal UPT is only possible in clearly confirmed intrauterine vital pregnancy (by determination of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in serum and ultrasound examination) and thorough pregnancy dating.

The power itself has 3 stages:

  1. In an accredited healthcare facility, a treatment product containing the active substance is administered mifepriston. Consequently, the woman remains close to the health care facility for at least 1 hour due to the possible occurrence of undesirable effects.
  2. A treatment product containing the active substance is subsequently administered in the same healthcare facility with an interval of 36 - 48 hours (or according to the current SPC of the preparation used). misoprostol. Subsequently, the woman remains close to the health institution for at least 1 hour due to the possible occurrence of undesirable effects or the possibility of rapid exudation of uterine content.
  3. The patient is informed of the possible risk of continuation of pregnancy; informed consent prior to initiation of a medical UPT is required. A check-up is recommended to avoid continuation of pregnancy (negative low-sensitivity urinary hCG test and/or ultrasound examination, an event may be monitored for a decrease in serum hCG concentration).

The administration of analgesics is part of the protocols. All women should be offered analgesic treatment in the first phase of exercise. The most commonly recommended group of analgesics are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. In the case of RhD negative women, it is important to administer anti-D globulin as recommended.

Method failure
A failure of the method is considered to be a continuation of pregnancy-- which is rare (1-3% of cases). If pregnancy continues, the woman's actual duration of pregnancy and wishes may be followed as follows:

  1. repeat the pharmacological method UPT,
  2. UPT surgical method

Prevention of UPT
The only prevention of UPT is the prevention of unwanted pregnancies, which is achievable by adequate awareness of women, the right age and age by appropriate sexual upbringing and ensuring an appropriate and reliable contraceptive method.

By sending a letter to which the MZ SR communicated the result of the execution of the petition designated as "Petitions against the introduction of chemical abortions in Slovakia - Minister do not be abused by progressive ideology to promote abortionsIn accordance with Article 5 (6) of the Act on petition law, the Slovak Republic considers the petition to be provided.

Place: In Bratislava– Date:20 March 2024