They call it the “world’s first parcel locker for abortion pills.” Polish campaigners have launched a new distribution method as part of their ongoing effort to get around the country’s near-total ban on abortion. The locker sits inside the abortion centre opened in March last year by the Abortion Dream Team. Painted pink and framed by zebra-striped curtains, the 22-compartment “AbortOmat” in Warsaw lets women access the pills quickly and anonymously using a six-digit code. The service was designed for those who cannot or do not want to wait days for mail delivery because of a missed miscarriage or health complications, or who worry about receiving the pills at home. “And why not?” said Kinga Jelinska, director of the Women Help Women foundation and co-founder of the Abortion Dream Team, the two groups behind last week’s launch. “You can order underwear, cosmetics, mascara, whatever and receive it practically the same or next day,” she said. “Why not abortion pills, where in some cases there might be more urgency?” The innovation comes six years after people across Poland took to the streets to protest against the tightening of abortion laws that were already among the strictest in Europe, setting off the country’s largest demonstrations since the fall of communism. In 2023, the protests were credited with helping to propel Donald Tusk, and his promises to overhaul the laws within 100 days, into power. Since then, political stagnation has set in, said Jelinska, citing comments made last year by Tusk in which the prime minister said there was “simply no majority” to change the laws to allow abortions until the 12th week of pregnancy. Tusk instead hinted that his government was intent on doing things differently, telling reporters that it would not prosecute those who helped to facilitate abortions. While the possession or ingestion of abortion pills is not outlawed in Poland, providing the medication or helping someone to obtain it is considered a crime punishable by up to three years in prison. Protests against the tightening of abortion laws, Oct 2020 in Warsaw. Photograph: Omar Marques/Getty Images The locker offers a novel way to challenge these restrictions, said Jelinska. “It’s a little bit of a hack on the law,” she said. “The law is about directly giving to someone. So here we have a machine in between, which makes the legality of everything much more vague.” The locker sits inside the abortion centre that was opened in March 2025 by the Abortion Dream Team. Described as the first of its kind in democratic Poland, it offers a safe space for people to consult on abortion options or receive support while they take the pill. Skip past newsletter promotion Sign up to Headlines Europe Free newsletter Every day A digest of the morning’s main headlines from the Europe edition emailed direct to you every week day Enter your email Sign up after newsletter promotion Symbolically located across the street from the Polish parliament, the centre has allowed campaigners to shine a spotlight on the continued need for abortion access in Poland while also providing services to a wide array of people, said Jelinska. “It has exceeded our expectations.” But it had also laid bare how few in power were willing to stand up for them, she said. “The one thing that has surprised us, and it speaks to the political situation, is that there are protests in front of the centre; three, sometimes four times a week.” While usually less than a dozen people turn up, the protesters regularly use sirens and vuvuzelas to make their point, leaving campaigners worried that the noise levels would eventually result in neighbours asking the centre to relocate. “Neither the city or the police have reacted. So that has been a big disappointment to us,” said Jelinska. It was a glimpse of how these organisations had increasingly felt abandoned by politicians, even as about 50,000 people in Poland contacted the wider network of pro-choLast year, people turned to ice organizations for help, Jelinska said. “I think in Poland, abortion access won’t be solved by politics but by women and communities,” she said. “We cannot trust politicians with our own bodies.”
Frequently Asked Questions
FAQs Polands Abortion Pill Lockers and the NearTotal Ban
What is this locker I keep hearing about
Its a selfservice locker similar to a parcel locker where activists leave abortion pills for people who need them Users get a code and pick up the package discreetly without meeting anyone face to face
Why do activists use lockers instead of handing pills out directly
Poland has one of Europes strictest abortion laws so helping someone obtain abortion pills can lead to criminal charges A locker lets activists avoid direct handovers which makes it harder for authorities to trace who gave the pills to whom
What exactly does Polands abortion law allow
Abortion is only legal in two cases when the pregnancy results from rape or incest or when it threatens the womans life or health A 2020 court ruling removed the most common groundsevere fetal abnormalitiesso in practice almost all abortions are banned
Can you go to prison for taking abortion pills in Poland
Taking the pills yourself is not a crime under Polish law However helping someone else get or use themincluding buying transporting or providing themcan be prosecuted and carries a potential prison sentence
What pills are we talking about
The standard twodrug combination mifepristone and misoprostol Taken together in the first weeks of pregnancy they safely end a pregnancy in the vast majority of cases
Are these pills safe
Yes The World Health Organization lists both drugs as essential medicines and complications are rare when the pills are used correctly Serious problems are most likely if someone takes them without knowing how far along they are or ignores warning signs
How do people find out about the lockers
Mostly through word of mouth activist networks and encrypted messaging apps Locations arent advertised openly partly to protect users and partly to stay ahead of police
How do users get the code to open a locker
They contact the group behind itusually through a secure messaging channeland after a short screening conversation they receive a onetime code often within hours
Is it legal to run a locker like this
The activists argue theyre not breaking the law because they dont perform abortions and users collect the pills themselves Polish prosecutors have taken a different view in some cases so the legal picture is contested and still evolving
