You have the right to access and receive the necessary medical assistance during pregnancy, childbirth and in the post-natal period. This assistance should be provided free of charge in Slovenia.
Choice to become a parent
You have the right to freely choose whether you want to become a parent or not. If you have already made that choice and you are pregnant, this right also includes the choice of the circumstances in which you wish to give birth.
Read more about access to information about reproductive health and access to reproductive health care.
important Surrogacy is not regulated and is not allowed in Slovenia. Read more about surrogacy.
Medical assistance & State financing
In Slovenia, the State provides fully financed medical assistance during pregnancy and childbirth, which covers any necessary treatment:
- for the mother and foetus during pregnancy
- for the mother and baby during labour in a medical institution (but not at home)
- for the mother and baby in the post-natal period
You have the right to access and receive free medical assistance during childbirth only at authorized medical institutions. However, Slovenian law does not provide for free medical assistance during home birth. Therefore, if you do not wish to give birth at a medical facility such as a hospital, you cannot ask for the provision of medical services free of charge. However, in the unfortunate case of complications during childbirth at home, you are entitled to state-funded emergency medical services.
Termination of pregnancy
You have the right to decide whether you want to terminate your pregnancy, regardless of the reasons you may have for such decision. However, this choice may be restricted by certain time limits depending on your circumstances.
Read more about termination of pregnancy.
What human rights violation may there be?
If you did not have access to the medical assistance that you needed, and were entitled to, during child birth, your right to health may have been violated. This will also be the case if the medical assistance was not provided in a timely manner and qualitatively. In extreme situations, the lack of adequate medical care can lead to a violation of the right to life.
Since aspects of your reproductive health are closely linked to your private life, this may also lead to a violation of your right to a private life.
If medical assistance in child birth was refused only because you belong to a group with certain characteristics as associated with your race, origin, religious beliefs, political affiliation, sexual orientation or other similar grounds, it may violate the prohibition on discrimination and unequal treatment.
Read more about medical negligence and how to complain where your rights have been violated.