With Giorgia Meloni, Italy has probably the most openly anti-abortion prime minister in western Europe, but terminating pregnancies in the majority-Catholic country that hosts the Vatican has never been easy.

When Linda Feki, a 33-year-old singer and musician from Naples, posted her account of stigma and abuse in undergoing the procedure, she received heartfelt messages of support from many Italian women who identified with her experience.

She also received criticism and insults, reflecting intensifying national divisions over reproductive rights under Meloni's leadership.

"I decided to make my story public ... because I have a public profile so maybe my voice could resonate more. I felt a kind of responsibility as a citizen, but also as an artist, to convey the message that abortion is a right", she told Reuters.

Abortions in Italy are legal within the first three months, and beyond that when the mother's mental or physical health is seriously endangered. But bureaucratic, cultural and practical obstacles all get in the way.

About 63% of gynaecologists across Italy are among medical staff officially known as "conscientious objectors", refusing involvement in abortions on ethical grounds, health ministry data shows. The figure rises to more than 80% in parts of the south.

Feki said she first went to Naples' San Paolo hospital, where a gynaecologist questioned whether she really wanted to abort and insisted her pregnancy was at a later stage than would have been possible given when she had last seen her long-distance partner.

When challenged, the doctor implied she may have slept with others, Feki said, adding that a subsequent scan from a private gynaecologist confirmed the pregnancy was at an earlier stage.

Doctor Luigi Terracciano, head of Gynaecology and Obstetrics at the San Paolo, said he was sorry to hear that Feki had a bad experience. "It is my desire and interest to meet her and clarify the situation, if she wishes it too," he told Reuters.