Denmark’s history of forced birth control in Greenland

Key moments in the spiral case

• 1966–1970 — Campaign launched.
  Danish health authorities begin the coil campaign. About half of fertile women and girls — some as young as 13 — receive IUDs, often without consent. Roughly 4,500 insertions are recorded in these first five years. Births in Greenland drop about 50% in the early 1970s.
• 1973 — Parental involvement eased.
  Rules change so doctors in Greenland no longer must involve parents when advising girls 15–18 on birth control, a shift critics say enabled forced insertions.
• 1974 — Campaign winds down.
  The program continues through 1974, though totals for the final years are unclear.
• 1991–1992 — Health system transfer.
  Responsibility for Greenland’s health care shifts to Nuuk. Accounts indicate some forced IUD cases persisted after the transfer
• 2017 — Survivors break the silence.
  Psychologist Naja Lyberth goes public, helping others come forward.
• May 2022 — DR investigation.
  Denmark’s national broadcaster DR’s podcasts and reporting revive the issue and prompt political demands for an inquiry.
• March 29, 2023 — Organizing accelerates.
  Survivors coordinate via Facebook, with about 130 women preparing claims.
• May 30, 2023 — Joint inquiry begins.
  Denmark and Greenland launch a formal investigation, later extended to January 31, 2026.
• October 2023 — First compensation claims.
  An initial group of 67 women files claims against the Danish state.
• March 4, 2024 — Lawsuits expand.
  143 women sue Denmark, seeking DKK 43 million (USD ≈ 6.7 million) in total damages.
• August 27, 2025 — Formal apology.
  Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen apologized “on behalf of Denmark” for forced birth control.