Overview

• Poland's lower house voted to approve over-the-counter access to the morning-after pill, ellaOne, for individuals aged 15 and above.
• The decision is part of the new European Union government's plan to ease the country's stringent anti-abortion and anti-contraception laws.
• Previously, the morning-after pill was only available by prescription, a policy enforced by the former conservative government.
• The legislation still requires approval from the Senate and President Andrzej Duda, but is expected to pass.
• The strict reproductive laws in Poland have led to major street protests and a chilling effect on doctors, resulting in deaths of women with troubled pregnancies.