The Belarusian Ministry Of Health Has Published A Guide On "counseling" Women
- 29.08.2026, 21:22
There are a lot of questions about him.
In Belarus, a training manual titled “Family Pre-Abortion Counseling” has been developed, which instructs psychologists to exclude abortion from the list of possible solutions when counseling women. This was reported by the channel “White Coats”, which reviewed the document.
According to the text of the guide, the goal of counseling is stated as “broadening one’s own perspective on the situation” and considering alternative solutions—excluding termination of pregnancy—to resolve the situation.
The manual includes a table with recommended arguments: in the case of financial difficulties, the psychologist is advised to explain to the woman that a child “does not require significant financial costs” and to point out available government resources; in cases of career concerns—to explain that “professional fulfillment provides only a temporary sense of self-sufficiency, while the value of motherhood is greater.”
Psychological counseling for women seeking a termination of pregnancy is provided for under Article 27 of the Law “On Health Care.” The document states: “A woman has the right to make her own decision regarding motherhood.”
At the same time, the law permits pre-abortion psychological counseling involving family members chosen by the woman herself, but it does not explicitly state that a woman has the right to refuse such counseling.
Law enforcement practices vary across different regions of Belarus, as emphasized by “White Coats.” In some regions, undergoing counseling is a mandatory requirement for having an abortion; in others, it is not. At the Borisov Perinatal Center, the psychologist also involves a doctor and a priest in the discussions with women.
Diana Beregovtsova, Ph.D. in Law, Associate Professor in the Department of Theory and History of State and Law at Brest State University Diana Beregovtsova stated as early as 2019 at a conference in Russia that the law does not mandate pre-abortion counseling: “The law does not specify that pre-abortion counseling is mandatory. It merely states that conditions must be created and pre-abortion psychological counseling for women must be provided.”
According to her, the Law “On Health Care” establishes a woman’s right to counseling, not an obligation to undergo it.