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La Paz: Difference between revisions
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===Laws & Social Stigmas=== | ===Laws & Social Stigmas=== | ||
In Bolivia, abortion is only permitted under certain circumstances, which are: if the pregnancy threatens the life/health of the women, or if the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest. If the woman is seeking an abortion on the grounds of rape, she must file a police report. Fortunately, since 2014, women no longer need permission from doctors to receive the procedure, which was a huge issue in the past and lead women (who were legally entitled to receive abortions) to seek out clandestine ones instead (due to lack of doctor's approval).<ref>[http://news.trust.org//item/20140226180647-wmbuv/ Bolivia eases strict abortion law - rights group]</ref> | In Bolivia, abortion is only permitted under certain circumstances, which are: if the pregnancy threatens the life/health of the women, or if the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest. If the woman is seeking an abortion on the grounds of rape, she must file a police report. Fortunately, since 2014, women no longer need permission from doctors to receive the procedure, which was a huge issue in the past and lead women (who were legally entitled to receive abortions) to seek out clandestine ones instead (due to lack of doctor's approval).<ref>[http://news.trust.org//item/20140226180647-wmbuv/ Bolivia eases strict abortion law - rights group]</ref> If a person illegally performs an abortion with the pregnant woman's consent, of if the pregnant woman as under sixteen years of age, that person can receive one to three years in prison. | ||
Technically, Bolivian law punishes people who consent to or perform abortions, but it's not clear if this is often enforced. According to the laws, if the woman did not consent to the abortion, that person can get to two to six years in prison. Furthermore, if a woman consents to an abortion, she may receive one to three years in prison. If the abortion was approved by the pregnant woman but it was supposedly done to "save her honor," the woman may receive a lighter sentence.<ref>[http://www.un.org/esa/population/publications/abortion/profiles.htm UN Report: Abortion in Bolivia]</ref> | |||
Despite these strict laws, clandestine abortions are performed every day in Bolivia. Many women seek out abortions for reasons that are not covered under Bolivian law, so they must seek out underground providers. There are also many women who are technically covered under Bolivian law, yet they still experience bureaucracy, social stigmas or lack of resources, leading them to seek out clandestine abortion providers. While figures vary, it is estimated that about 60% of all pregnancies in Bolivia are unintended<ref>[https://www.guttmacher.org/report/unmet-need-for-contraception-in-developing-countries Unmet Need for Contraception in Developing Countries: Examining Women’s Reasons for Not Using a Method]</ref> and, in 2015, it was estimated that 185 illegal abortions that happen in Bolivia every day.<ref>[http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Bolivians-Call-for-Abortion-To-Be-Decriminalized-20150928-0024.html Bolivians Call for Abortion To Be Decriminalized]</ref> Many of these clandestine providers are not medically trained or do not have the proper equipment, so please exercise extreme caution if you seek them out. | |||
As of January 2017, Bolivian courts have rejected challenges to existing abortion laws, despite reproductive rights groups calling for a more open abortion policy.<ref>[http://nacla.org/blog/2014/2/28/abortion-rights-bolivia-modest-gain For Abortion Rights in Bolivia, A Modest Gain]</ref> The organizations that are probably the most prominent in the fight for reproductive rights in Bolivia are [http://www.ipas.org/ IPAS], an international NGO and the Movement for Socialism, a a Bolivian left-wing political movement. The strongest opponents are the Catholic Church and conservative Catholic groups. | |||
===What to Get & Where to Get It=== | ===What to Get & Where to Get It=== | ||