Abortion In Chile

Improved Essays
As of 2001 Chile, with the exception of Cuba, had the highest abortion rates in the region, with the rate being above 2.3 per woman (Blofield 8). Historically, "illegally induced abortion [was] the most prevalent method of birth control" (Viel V 286) and as of 2001 abortions occurred at a rate of one per every three live births (Blofield 16). The availability of contraceptives did not significantly decreased the amount of abortions since the 1970s, with the only change resulting as one more live birth per abortion in the country (Paxman et al. 206). However, during this time and until the beginning of the dictatorship contraception was highly available yet under utilized due to a lack of education, access, and the "political dimension of fertility …show more content…
Due to the extremely pro-natalist attitudes of the Pinochet regime they launched several attacks on the availability of contraceptives in addition to their legislation which made all forms of abortion illegal. With this constitutional change under no circumstances is abortion allowed in Chile, not even in the case of rape or serious danger the life of the mother (Kulczycki 212; Mooney 11; Blofield 26). The law states, " The mother must give birth to her child, even if it will be born abnormal, if she did not plan it, if it was conceived as a result of a rape, and even if giving birth will kill her" (Mooney 10). This law was still in place as of this year in …show more content…
According to a study in 2002, 65.6% of people supported abortion access when the woman 's life is in danger and 56.3% support legal access if the fetus will have birth defects (Blofield 20). Moreover, a majority of the people polled in 2002, believe that abortion should be legal in the case of rape (Blofield 20). These beliefs illuminate that Chile 's social stance transformed despite the influence of a conservative government and religious influence. In recent years a shift in the government’s view of abortion transpired to match the views of the country. First in 2006, "after repeated legal challenges, the government allowed emergency contraceptive pills (ECPs) to be sold with a prescription ", at first these were free of charge attacks from the conservative parliament in 2008 "banned public health facilities from freely distributing emergency contraceptives" (Kulczycki 212). Second in 2010 under Michelle Bachelet 's presidency, "an emergency contraception law legalized the distribution of the 'morning-after pill ' through the public heath system", and "Women above the age of fourteen can now get emergency contraception free of charge in public health centers, without parental consent" (Mooney 13). Third, and most importantly, as of March 17, 2016 Chile 's "lower house of congress has approved a proposal that lifts a ban on abortion in cases of rape, when there is health risk for the mother, or when

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