A new study led by King’s College London reveals how the COVID-19 pandemic dramatically intensified existing barriers to abortion care in Poland. The research shows that health emergencies do not exist in isolation — they collide with structural inequalities, restrictive laws, and gendered vulnerabilities, creating harsh realities for those seeking reproductive healthcare.

The study analysed 8,577 anonymous online consultations with Women Help Women, a feminist telehealth organisation, between April and December 2020. Researchers found that lockdowns, movement restrictions, job losses, and financial uncertainty combined with Poland’s already restrictive legal framework to create unprecedented obstacles to accessing abortion.

As Dr. Rishita Nandagiri from the Department of Global Health and Social Medicine explained, “Pregnancy during the pandemic became a cliff edge. For many, abortion was a protective act — an attempt to preserve stability for themselves and their families in the face of deepening precarity.”

The findings show that the pandemic disrupted personal support networks, increased exposure to intimate partner violence, and heightened stigma. These pressures became even more acute in October 2020, when Poland’s near-total abortion ban was announced. Even before it formally came into force, the ruling had a chilling effect: hospitals and doctors became more reluctant to provide care, and many women were left in fear and uncertainty.

By examining these experiences in the broader context of structural violence, the research highlights that abortion cannot be understood solely through a medical or health-based lens. It shows how neoliberal reforms and neoconservative ideologies shaped reproductive decisions during the crisis, leaving women and gender-marginalised people with limited and unsafe options.

The study, published in SSM – Qualitative Research in Health, was conducted in collaboration with King’s College London, the London School of Economics, the University of Birmingham, and Women Help Women. The project received support from the Wellcome Trust, the Gates Foundation, and the British Academy.

“These findings highlight how structural and state violence shape access to abortion,” said Dr. Nandagiri. “They show why feminist networks like Women Help Women are not only providing essential care and solidarity to abortion-seekers, but also sustaining futures and rights when formal systems fail. Their work is a powerful reminder of the collective nature of feminist care — something that deserves far more attention in policy and programming.”

Read more here: King’s research reveals how COVID-19 deepened barriers to abortion care in Poland