Table 2.

National laws and policies related to abortion and conscientious objection England

	England	Italy	Norway	Portugal
Year of liberalization*	1967	1978	1975	2007
Grounds for legal abortion	Before 24 weeks if two physicians concur that continuance of pregnancy involves greater risk to the physical or mental health of the pregnant woman or her existing children than termination At any time if substantial risk of serious disability in the resulting childor serious risk to life or health of the woman	During first 90 days if continuation of pregnancy, childbirth, or motherhood would seriously endanger the woman's physical or mental health, in view of her health, economic, social, and family circumstances, the circumstancesin which conception occurred, or probability of child's abnormalities or malformations After 90 days if pregnancy or childbirth seriously threatens the woman's life or physical or mental health, including in cases associated with the diagnosis of serious abnormalities or malformations of the fetus	On demand before 12 weeks Through 18 weeks if a board determines any one of the following: the pregnancy, childbirth, or care of the child may result in unreasonable strain on the physical or mental health of the woman or place her in a difficult life situation the resulting child might suffer from a serious disease the woman's pregnancy is the result of rape or incest the woman suffers from a severe mental illness After 18 weeks, under exceptional circumstances	On demand before 10 weeks Until 12 weeks to avoid danger from death or serious, long-lasting lesions or to the physical or psychological health of woman Until 16 weeks if the pregnancy is the result of a crime against freedom and sexual selfdetermination Until 24 weeks if the resulting child will suffer from an incurable serious illness or congenital malformation
Referral process	General practitioner referral or self-referral	Consultation required for abortion certificate	General practitioner referral or self-referral	Consultation required for abortion certificate
Waiting period	None	7 days	None	3 days
Abortion provision: percentage national health care system versus independent sector	33% public facilities 67% independent sector	Vast majority provided in public hospitals; a small minority provided in independent sector	Almost all provided in public hospitals, with a few pilot programs providing abortions in non-hospital clinics	67% public facilities 33% independent sector
Percentage medical abortion	55%	Nominal	86%	65%
Are objectors prohibited from providing options counseling?	No, but self-referral limits such encounters	Depends on region	No, but self-referral limits such encounters	Yes
Who can object?	Only those involved in direct provision	Only those involved in direct provision (with regional variations with regard to counseling)	Only those involved in direct provision	Only those involved in direct provision
To whom doproviders declare objection?	To medical supervisor	To regional authority (under law), to medical supervisor (in practice)	No declaration necessary	To medical supervisor (in practice) and professional association (under law)
Who ensures the woman receives care?	Clinical commissioning group	Regional authority	Regional authority	Hospital (within 5 days)
Is it acceptable for an employer to list abortion-related work as a job requirement?	Yes, but it is not necessary in the independent sector	Regional variation	Yes	Yes

^*Citations for the data in this table can be found within the article text.