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===Laws & Social Stigmas=== | ===Laws & Social Stigmas=== | ||
Abortion is | In Chile, abortion is currently illegal without exceptions. This makes Chilean abortion law one of the strictest in the world, though Chilean abortion laws are currently being reconsidered. These strict abortion laws can be attributed to the military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet (1973-1990). According to current Chilean abortion law, a woman cannot seek an abortion, even if the pregnancy endangers her life, if the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest, or if the fetus will not survive the pregnancy. If a woman obtains an abortion in Chile, she can currently face up to five years in prison.<ref>[http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Chiles-Abortion-Bill-Approved-by-Senate-Commission-20160906-0031.html Chile's Abortion Bill Approved by Senate Commission]</ref> | ||
Chilean laws were not always this strict. From 1931-1989, therapeutic abortion (i.e. abortion when doctors considered it medically necessary) was permitted in Chile. In fact, if a women received approval from two doctors, the abortion would be legal. Yet, "On 15 September 1989, however, the Government of Chile amended section 119 of the Health Code to provide that 'No action may be executed that has as its goal the inducement of abortion' (Law No. 18,826). The justification provided for the new restrictions was that, given the advances in modern medicine, an abortion was no longer needed to save the life of a pregnant woman. Owing to this amendment, it is generally, although not unanimously, believed that no abortions can now be legally performed in Chile."<ref>[http://www.un.org/esa/population/publications/abortion/profiles.htm UN Report: Abortion in Chile]</ref> After the fall of Pinochet's military dictatorship, it was the Catholic Church authority that has most strongly advocated to keep existing abortion laws.<ref>[http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/03/28/a-crack-in-the-world-s-most-restrictive-abortion-law.html A Crack in the World’s Most Restrictive Abortion Law]</ref> | |||
These strict laws are currently being challenged. In January 2015, President Michelle Bachelet announced that she would send a draft bill to Congress. This bill would decriminalize abortion during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy (18 weeks, if the woman is under 14 years old) in the following cases: when the mother's life is endangered by the pregnancy, when the pregnancy is the result of rape, and when the fetus will not survive the pregnancy. In March 2016, the bill passed in the Chamber of Deputies with a surprising vote from a member of the Christian Democrats (the party that has opposed the bill).<ref>[http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Chiles-Abortion-Bill-Approved-by-Senate-Commission-20160906-0031.html Chile's Abortion Bill Approved by Senate Commission]</ref> It now needs Senate approval to become an official law.<ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abortion_in_Chile Abortion in Chile]</ref> | |||
If the abortion laws were to be changed, this would be a welcome sign of progress for many Chilean people. Due to the incredibly strict abortion laws, many women have resorted to unsafe clandestine abortion providers. In fact, Chile has one of the highest abortion rates in Latin America, and 33,000 women are admitted to Chilean hospitals each year to abortion-related causes.<ref>[http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/03/28/a-crack-in-the-world-s-most-restrictive-abortion-law.html A Crack in the World’s Most Restrictive Abortion Law]</ref> There is an underground network of pro-choice doctors and feminist in Chile who help women procure Misoprostol (also known as "the abortion pill") on the black market. However, poorer often attempt to induce the abortions themselves, which often has dangerous consequences. | |||
===What to Get & Where to Get It=== | ===What to Get & Where to Get It=== | ||
* You can potentially get the "abortion pill" by mail. Check out [https://www.womenonweb.org/en/i-need-an-abortion this link] for details | |||
* [http://infoabortochile.org/ Línea Aborto Chile (Abortion Line Chile)]: Lesbianas Feministas por el Derecho a la Información (Lesbian Feminists for the Right to Information): Call - 8 8 9 1 8 5 9 0. "Lesbians and Feminists for the right to information supports Linea Aborto Chile to provide information on how to use misotrol to safely terminate a pregnancy until week 12, all according to official information from the World Health Organization." Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/abortosegurochile/ Email: femilesinfo@gmail.com | |||
===Costs=== | ===Costs=== | ||