Vladimir Putin has instructed the Russian government to prepare proposals that would allow search engines to give priority to certain information resources when users search for information about abortion. The instruction was included in a list of measures following a May 29 meeting of the council on demographic and family policy. The document was published on October 26.
The same list instructs officials to consider adding vaccination against human papillomavirus, or HPV, using a domestically produced vaccine to the national immunization schedule. Other provisions address access to care for male reproductive disorders, support for pregnant wives of war participants and adjustments to family mortgage terms.
HPV vaccination is used to reduce the risk of several cancers, including cervical cancer. The timing and procedure for any future changes to the immunization schedule will depend on subsequent government decisions.
By December 15, the government is to present proposals for prioritizing the indexing of resources that offer social support to women considering their reproductive options.
The instruction calls for measures to be developed; it does not introduce a ban on search queries or mean that search results have already been changed. The document does not call for medical websites to be removed or lawful access to information about abortion to be restricted.