The OLVG hospital in Amsterdam is starting a trial on performing a sensitive type of abortion: terminating pregnancies between the 22nd and 24th week. Several other Dutch hospitals are “exploring” how they can participate in the trial, the professional association of gynecologists, NVOG, told Parool.

Abortions up to 24 weeks are permitted in the Netherlands, but are rarely performed in practice. Late abortions without a medical indication are a sensitive issue. The threshold at which a fetus becomes viable is 24 weeks. And according to the NVOG, it is “not infrequent” that a fetus is born alive during the late termination of a pregnancy.

But it is still “legally permitted and necessary healthcare” that women currently have to go abroad to get, the NVOG said on its website. The NVOG estimates that about 225 women per year need a late abortion for social reasons. “It is not about large numbers, but about pregnant women in an extremely vulnerable situation.”

In 2024, over 39,000 abortions were performed in the Netherlands. According to the Ministry of Public Health, 331 of these terminations happened between the 22nd and 24th week. Whether these abortions have a medical or social reason is not recorded.

For this trial, the OLVG will terminate four pregnancies between the 22nd and 24th week due to a “social indication.” This means that the pregnancy is unwanted or unplanned, not that there is anything medically wrong with the fetus.

The Amsterdam hospital held three “moral consultations” in preparation for the trial. The hospital concluded that individual staff members are always allowed to refuse, but the team as a whole does have a duty to provide this care, a hospital spokesperson told Parool. They added that the pilot is in its initial phase, and the OLVG will not disclose any information about its implementation at this stage.

The trial comes after years of consideration, but it started with no big announcements. As early as 2021, the Health and Youthcare Inspectorate asked professional associations to come up with a solution.

Christian party SGP, which is vehemently anti-abortion, is stunned and outraged. The party found out about the trial through a tip from “people on the front lines,” SGP parliamentarian Diederik van Dijk told Parool. “How on earth is it possible that we, as parliament, know nothing about this?” According to him, there must first be a “societal and political debate.” He submitted parliamentary questions to Public Health Minister Sophie Hermans (VVD).

The Ministry of Public Health told Parool in a written statement that it was informed about the pilot on June 1. The trial is intended to “improve existing care and make it more accessible,” a spokesperson said. It fits within the responsibility that medical professionals have within the healthcare system and legal frameworks.