Access to abortion is becoming increasingly difficult in France despite it being enshrined in the Constitution, warns the Family Planning Association.
Geographical divides, a lack of information, rising prejudice: On Monday, Family Planning is set to publish its survey on abortion and highlights a "path fraught with obstacles", where access to this right has been deteriorating over the years.
Despite abortion being enshrined in the Constitution in 2024, access to it is becoming increasingly difficult in France, according to a survey by Planning Familial, which France Inter is revealing exclusively on Monday 28 September, to mark the International Day for the Right to Abortion. According to this survey, a shortage of trained professionals and areas with a lack of medical services are causing waiting times to exceed the five days stipulated by law. In fact, three out of four women who had an abortion at a healthcare facility waited more than seven days for their appointment, compared with 54 per cent in 2024. The right to abortion was officially enshrined in the Constitution on 8 March 2024.
Family Planning has condemned "pathways fraught with obstacles", including refusals to provide support, pressure or a lack of choice regarding abortion methods. One in two women reports that a healthcare professional refused to support her during the procedure, compared with 27 per cent in 2024. To mark International Day for the Right to Abortion on Monday, the Family Planning Association is calling for a mass mobilisation. The organisation condemns "a genuine regional divide, with access generally more difficult in rural areas and those far from major cities, compounded by social inequalities for people with fewer resources or limited means of transport".
Rural areas and medical deserts: barriers to abortion for 9 out of 10 women
For 89 per cent of those surveyed, the main barrier to accessing abortion is living in a rural area and geographical difficulties in accessing services, ahead of a lack of information (76 per cent) and a lack of facilities and/or professionals (60 per cent). "When you close a maternity unit, you are closing a facility for voluntary termination of pregnancy," said Sarah Durocher, president of Planning familial, speaking on France Inter on Monday. "It is important to realise that more than 20 per cent of women and people who have abortions are forced to travel to another department," she adds. Whilst "one in three women" has had an abortion in France, she highlights the work of midwives who "perform the majority of abortions today".
According to this survey, two in three women who have had an abortion felt under pressure or judged during the procedure. One in five women did not feel they had a full choice regarding their method of abortion, according to the survey, which also highlights difficulties in accessing information about abortion. And 42 per cent of the women surveyed who had an abortion cited the internet as their source of information, ahead of their friends and family.
The search for information now also involves artificial intelligence. "AI currently directs people effectively towards Family Planning. But these things can change, and anti-abortion groups in France and around the world have a lot of money. And sometimes they can even exert a degree of influence over social media," observes Sarah Durocher, president of Family Planning. "So, of course, we are concerned, but people also turn to social media and AI when looking for information."
Remove the specific conscience clause for doctors
In this survey, Family Planning also interviewed 55 departmental associations: 62 per cent believe that access to abortion is not easy in their department, compared with 47 per cent in 2024. Meanwhile, 58 per cent consider that abortion is still viewed in a negative light, compared with 44 per cent in 2024. Finally, 62 per cent state that people having an abortion do not always have a choice of abortion method, compared with 56 per cent in 2024.
The organisation is also calling for the abolition of the conscience clause relating specifically to doctors' provision of abortion services. "It contributes to the stigmatisation of a medical procedure," says Sarah Durocher, who is calling for "a cultural shift" to "ensure that abortion is treated like any other medical procedure". Family Planning is also calling for the legal limit for having an abortion to be extended from 14 to 22 weeks, "as in other European countries" such as Spain or the Netherlands, explains the president of Family Planning.
Despite abortion being enshrined in the Constitution, the Family Planning Association is concerned about attacks on this right, linked to the rise of conservatism. "Whenever there is a rise in conservatism, it is the right to abortion that comes under attack first," points out Sarah Durocher. "So, of course, there needs to be an international campaign," she says, because if, in France, "the conservative right" were to come to power, "abortion would obviously be under attack – this is no exception – and it would not be attacked through legislation, but by restricting access," she warns.
An article written by Victor Dhollande (France Inter), franceinfo (Radio France), initially published on 28 September 2026, 06:20 (CEST)
