Germany

Access to abortion is a fundamental human right and a basic healthcare. If you live in a country where access to abortion is restricted, you can get abortion pills through Women on Web.

Abortion is permitted on request up to 12 weeks counting from conception. It is also permitted in cases of rape or if the pregnancy is result of an illegal act (child sexual abuse; sexual assault, sexual abuse of persons incapable of resistance) up to 12 weeks. Abortion is also permitted if the pregnancy endangers the woman or person's physical health, mental health or life. For these cases no limitation regarding the lengths of pregnancy is mentioned in the legal text.

For an abortion on request a person is required to go through mandatory counseling (“Schwangerschaftskonfliktberatung”) prior to abortion. There is a mandatory waiting period of 3 days in place before the abortion can be done. Abortion cost is covered by the state in cases of rape or for women and pregnant people that can prove that they are under a certain income limit. The reimbursement (“Kostenerstattung”) needs to be applied for before the abortion takes place at any public health insurance provider.

Penal law criminalizes women and pregnant people for doing an abortion outside of the legal conditions specified in the law. Also abortion providers and any persons assisting may be criminalized for an abortion outside of the legal conditions specified in the law. Medical practitioners and providers have the right to refuse abortion services based on personal beliefs. So-called conscientious objection cannot be practiced if the life of the woman or pregnant person is at risk.

Mifepristone is officially registered by the country’s pharmaceutical authority.

Mifepristone is not distributed in pharmacies.

Misoprostol is officially registered by the country’s pharmaceutical authority.

There is no data available on whether Misoprostol is registered for gynecological indications (such as birth, miscarriage treatment or abortion care etc.), or if it is registered for other purposes only (such as arthritis or gastric ulcers etc.)..

A doctor's prescription may be required to get Misoprostol.

Misoprostol is not distributed in pharmacies.

These are brand names under which Mifepristone, Misoprostol or Combi Packs (that contain both abortion pills Mifepristone and Misoprostol) are officially distributed and/or commonly found in the country.

Mifepristone:
Mifegyne, 200mg

Misoprostol:
MisoOne 400 mcg
Cytotec 200 mcg
Arthrotec forte*, 200mcg, *contains Diclofenac!

Combipack:
-

Safety notice: There are pills that contain a combination of Misoprostol and the painkiller Diclofenac. While manufactured for a different purpose they can still be used for abortion. Please find more info in our FAQ to avoid overdosing the Diclofenac.

The actual costs of abortion pills are often difficult to determine, vary and change over time. Fill out our questionnaire to add and share your experience.

1. "Mifepriston is registered in Germany, but it is not available in pharmacies nor with prescription, only doctors can hand it out and they need to inform the distributor of the pills of each pill they gave out and to whom they gave it out. Misoprostol is registered in Germany, but only in combination with Diclofenac. It is called Arthotec forte and contains 75mg of Diclofenac and 200µg of Misoprostol. People need a prescription for the medication.
   Cytotec (Misoprostol alone) is no longer imported into Germany and it was also not available in pharmacies. Remember you can alway say you need Arthotec forte for pain in your joints. If you have a prescription it still can be a little difficult to get Misoprostol, because it mostly has to be imported from other countries within the EU. If one pharmacy does not sell it to you, do not feel discouraged and try a different pharmacy." - Anonymous - October 2022