The right to terminate a pregnancy was formally enshrined in the French Constitution in 2024, but women are finding it harder to gain access due to geographical inequalities and lack of information but also rising prejudice, France's family planning movement has said.
In its survey, published on Monday for International Safe Abortion Day, Le Planning Familial (MFPF) found that a lack of trained professionals and shortages of doctors were pushing waiting times beyond France's legal period of five days.
Three out of four women who had an abortion in a health facility in 2026 waited more than seven days for an appointment, compared with 54 percent in 2024.
The right to abortion was formally enshrined in the French Constitution on 8 March 2024.
MFPF referred to "pathways full of obstacles", including refusals of support, pressure and a lack of choice over the method of abortion.
One in two women said a professional had refused to support them during the procedure, compared with 27 percent in 2024.
'Real geographical divide'
The survey identified geographical and rural inequalities as the biggest obstacle to abortion access, cited by 89 percent of those surveyed. Lack of information was the second largest obstacle (76 percent), followed by a lack of facilities or professionals (60 percent).
"When you close a maternity unit, you close an abortion centre," Sarah Durocher, the head of the movement, told France Inter public radio on Monday.
"More than 20 percent of women and people who have abortions are forced to go to another department," she said.
Durocher also pointed to the role of midwives, who "perform the majority of abortions today".
The organisation said there was a "real geographical divide", with access generally harder in rural areas and places far from major cities. This was compounded by social inequalities affecting people with fewer resources or fewer opportunities to travel.
Two thirds of women who had an abortion said they had experienced pressure or judgement during the procedure. One in five said they did not feel they had been given a full choice of abortion method.
The survey also identified difficulties in accessing information. The internet was the most common source, ahead of family and friends.
Ducrocher noted that artificial intelligence (AI), which is now also being used to search for information, was a mixed blessing.
"AI currently directs people towards the MFPF, but these are things that can change and people in France and around the world who are anti-abortion have a lot of money. Sometimes they can even have some influence over social networks," she said.
Growing concerns
France's family planning movement also surveyed 55 local associations. Some 62 percent said abortion access was not easy in their department, up from 47 percent in 2024.
About 58 percent said abortion was still viewed negatively, compared with 44 percent in 2024. And 62 percent said people seeking abortions did not always have a choice over the method used, compared with 56 percent in 2024.
Abortion was legalised in France via the 1975 Veil law, which also introduced a specific conscientious-objection clause for doctors and other health professionals to refuse to perform or assist with an abortion.
MFPF wants the special clause to be removed, since it "contributes to the stigmatisation of an act," Durocher said.
She called for "a change in culture" to "make abortion an act like any other".
The organisation is also calling for the legal time limit for abortion to be extended from 14 to 22 weeks, in line with other European countries such as Spain and the Netherlands.
While the right to abortion is now protected under the constitution, Ducrocher warned it could still be threatened by rise of the far right.
"Whenever there is a rise in conservatism, the right to abortion is attacked first," she said, calling for international mobilisation.
France's far-right National Rally (RN) party won a record 14 seats in the Senate over the weekend, effectively quadrupling its number in the 348-seat chamber.
This comes just months before a presidential election which polls suggest RN leader Marine Le Pen could win.
Ducrocher warned that if "the conservative right" does come to power "abortion will obviously be attacked ... it won't be through legislation, but through access".
