The Consequences of Not Legalizing Abortion in Latin American Countries

El Salvador has one of the strictest and most archaic anti-abortion laws in the world with a total ban on abortion, even in in cases of rape or incest, if the mother’s life is in danger, or if the fetus is not viable outside the uterus. Since 1998, the adopted legislation has increasingly made it more dangerous for women to seek medical attention when in reference to their reproductive health. These laws allow prosecutors to convert many abortion charges to aggravated homicide, which carries a sentence of 30-50 years.

68-92). Andaya (2014) uses quotes from participants to explain the Cuban narrative of abortion (pp. 80-82). There seems to be a double narrative that is taking place during discussions surrounding abortion. One narrative designates women who keep unintended pregnancies as “undisciplined” (Pg. 82). Women are shamed for conceiving often, especially if they are of a lower class. On the other hand, there is a counter narrative which shames women who have had multiple abortions (Pg. 68). This shaming is disguised a concern for women’s health and fertility, where Andaya (2014) writes “The state holds that abortion is a public health problem…in 2004, 11 of the 54 maternal mortalities were abortion related (Acosta 2006)” in which Cuba has “linked” abortion to maternal mortality. Furthermore, Andaya (2014) also writes “…in 2009, more than half of the cases of female infertility among young women were thought

(García et al., 2004a) In most states it is also allowed if the pregnancy puts the woman’s life at risk (García et al., 2004a). These laws make the vast majority of abortions in Mexico take place in unsafe conditions (Juarez, Singh, Garcia, & Olavarrieta, 2008). The estimate of abortions that take place in Mexico is 33 per 1000 women aged 15-44 (Juarez, Singh, Garcia, & Olavarrieta, 2008). The contraception use rate is 72.5% and their maternal mortality rate is 38 deaths per 100,00 live births (“The World Factbook - Mexico,” 2001). There is a lot of stigma surrounding abortion in Mexico although studies have shown that the majority of Mexicans think abortion should be allowed under certain circumstances (García et al., 2004b). I support a woman’s right to choose if she wants an abortion or not so I do not agree with the laws in Mexico. Contraception, unless it is abstinence, is never 100% effective and there should be a legal method to end an unwanted pregnancy if a woman chooses to do

In the United Nations Global review on Abortion policies in Spain in the year of 2001, abortion was permitted on almost all grounds. These grounds are inclusive of factors regarding health and preserving both physical and mental health. Women could rightfully receive an abortion if she was raped, or if the pregnancy caused severe mental or physical health issues to either mother or child. Consequently, abortion was not permitted for social or economic reasons and any women who pursued an abortion that was not performed in a health care establishment would be penalized and the individual who performed the illegal abortion was subjected to imprisonment if caught. In retrospect, contraception and sterilization was not legalized in Spain until

“El Salvador is extremely strict when it comes down to enforcing the conservative approach with governing the people” (Rosas). “A constitutional amendment in 1998 defined life to begin at conception” (Geneva). Rosas says that the main spark that lead up to the prohibition was recovering from the civil war. Abortion is not only a problem in El Salvador but a problem worldwide. But the injustice in El Salvador is where the major troubles spread. “El Salvador is extremely conservative, and the Catholic Church’s influence extends into political decision making” (Rosas). The women undoubtedly have no say whatsoever. Instead, the government and laws overpower their opinions. She appeals to her audience by bringing up the topic that any free society should be considered to the physical right of the woman. Women and young girls in El Salvador are being forced to interact in sexual activities by men, yet the Catholic Church thinks elsewise. Nowhere does the law state anything about miscarriages or abortions, yet women are still convicted and imprisoned for these

Access to contraceptives and abortion within the Latina community in Los Angeles, California has been influenced culturally, socially, and economically. Cultural beliefs, economic disparities, social environment, and language barriers have all prevented Latina’s access to proper pregnancy termination services, which is causing in the detrition of Latina’s sexual and reproductive care. Ultimately in order to promote better reproductive/sexual health and provide better access to contraceptives and abortion within the Latina community in Los Angeles, policy makers should promote safe sex practices within families, communities, and schools and also should educate Latinas of all options they have. In addition to education, sexual and reproductive health services such as contraceptives and abortion should be able to be accessible to Latinas, in order to reduce the amount of Latinas going through traumatic experiences that are indeed preventative.

While Latin America’s lack of reproductive rights would seem to be common knowledge, many are unaware of how exactly women in Latin American countries are affected. In a fairly large number of countries, abortion is illegal. In regards to this, “in 2008, 12 percent of maternal deaths in Latin America and the Caribbean were due to unsafe abortions.” (Mane, 2013) 95% of the abortions

Many countries in Latin America already prohibit or severely restrict abortion. In addition, current pieces of legislation such as the Helms and Hyde Amendments prohibit US aid toward funding abortions abroad with few exceptions such as cases due to incest or rape. However, in light of the potential effects of the Zika virus, the US is rethinking its stance on abortion rights in Latin America, signaling to a possibility in a change in its stance.

Latin America is one region of the world known for its similarities across national borders, paired with stark differences. While Latin American countries share cultural elements such as, language, religion, and a colonial history, each society has developed differently in terms of political, economic, and social organization. One major difference across Latin America is individual nations relationships with family planning and abortion systems. Each country 's stance on the morality of abortion, contraception, reproduction, and sexuality, differs from its neighbors and the region at large. In some cases the difference is visible within national borders, such as in Mexico, where abortion is only legal inside the capital city (Fondo Maria). In other cases the countries themselves are homogenous in law, but differ greatly from the legal positions of their neighbors. Due to such variation it is impossible to claim that Latin America as a whole aligns with one attitude concerning family planning and abortion. Additionally, both systems are simultaneously present in countries creating a complex and intriguing system of reproductive health. Due to this variety, this paper focuses on Chile and Cuba as examples of two opposing extremes. In Cuba abortion is legal under all circumstances as compared to Chile, where abortion was historically criminalized. These two country 's situations ask the question of how family planning programs and abortion rates connect with and influence one

Approximately 68,000 women die annually due to unsafe abortions(), the majority of these are from countries where it is illegal. This goes to show that outlawing abortion doesn’t decrease the number of abortions, it just increases the amount of unsafe ones. Abortion is currently legal in U.S., but pro life movements are making it harder and harder to r23 January, 2017

During the 7th century, the Catholic Church premeditated that the act of oral sex was a far more worse sin than getting an abortion. Roe V. Wade was the 1973 US Supreme court case that made abortion legal in the United States. Abortion should be the woman’s choice. The US supreme court has declared abortion to be a fundamental right that is guaranteed by the US Constitution. Reproductive rights also give women a sense of empowerment, as they are in control of their bodies. Concluding with these, death and injury rates to women have decreased a significant amount as now abortions are easier to obtain and the procedures are far more safer.

Over the past few centuries state and federal laws concerning a females reproductive rights have changed dramatically. The female population has been greatly affected by many laws regarding their reproductive rights and their ability to make educated decisions about family planning. The 1973 case Roe vs. Wade set the motion to allow women to control their bodies and their decision to end a pregnancy through abortion. Prior to this case, in almost all 50 states abortions were deemed illegal.

Data from Latin America have shown that women who have access to the Internet are increasingly getting information about medication abortion online and that women who have access to accurate information and reliable medication abortion drugs can safely terminate their own pregnancies.

Furthermore, Brazil requires adjudication to decide if an abortion may be provided in cases of severe fetal anomalies and malformations (Diniz et al.) These factors have resulted in a large number of unsafe abortions, with a survey in 2010 finding that 22% of women between the ages of 35 and 39 had attempted to induce an abortion. Additionally, in 2008, there were 3,230 legal abortions, but an estimated one million total abortions occur in the country annually (Diniz et al). Roughly one in five abortions resulted in hospitalization in 2008, with a disproportionate number of those suffering complications being poor black women; in fact, these women were found to be three times more likely to die from unsafe abortions than their counterparts, primarily due to lack of access to sterile materials and trained medical providers (Diniz et al.)

Today, 76 percent of the world's people live in countries where induced abortion is legal, at least for health reasons, and 39 percent reside in nations where abortion is available upon request. The procedure is legal in nearly every developed country, and although a majority of developing countries prohibit abortion, 67 percent of the residents of the developing world live in countries where it is permitted at least for health reasons. The other 33 percent-more than one billion people, most of living in Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and the more strongly fundamentalist Islamic nations-have little of no access to legal induced abortion.