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WARSAW, Poland (AP) \u2014 Poland\u2019s lawmakers voted on Thursday to approve over-the-counter access to the morning-after pill for ages 15 and above in a step to liberalize Poland\u2019s strict reproductive law inherited from the previous nationalist conservative government.<\/p>\n
The vote in the lower house was the first step in the plans of the new pro-European Union government to loosen the anti-abortion and anti-contraception law, which is among Europe\u2019s toughest.<\/p>\n
The lawmakers voted 224-196 in the Sejm with one abstention to liberalize access to the hormonal contraceptive, called ellaOne.<\/p>\n
The morning-after pill, which prevents pregnancy, is currently available only by prescription. The previous conservative government, backed by President Andrzej Duda, tightened reproductive laws, drawing major street protests.<\/p>\n
Abortion in Poland, a predominantly Roman Catholic country, is legal only when the pregnancy threatens a woman\u2019s health or life, or results from rape. The strict law has had a chilling effect on Poland\u2019s doctors, and has led to a number of deaths of women with troubled pregnancies.<\/p>\n
The new contraception regulations still need approval from the Senate, which is expected to grant it, and from Duda.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n