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Chile: Difference between revisions

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I removed the previous citation, which was unreliable (a for-profit company website), and changed it to the CIA Worldfactbook. I also amended the section to reflect data from the CIA Worldfactbook.
(I removed the previous citation, which was unreliable (a for-profit company website), and changed it to the CIA Worldfactbook. I also amended the section to reflect data from the CIA Worldfactbook.)
 
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In Chile, you will find a range of health care options. You can purchase birth control without a prescription. Emergency contraception (the morning after pill) has been a hotly debated political issue, but it is available for purchase (and, as of 2015, no prescription is required). There are no travel or residency restrictions related to HIV status, and you can get STI tests at public or private facilities. There is currently no known PrEP program in Chile but there is an HPV vaccination program. You can find pads, tampons and menstrual cups in Santiago (there is a specific menstrual cup seller that we list in the "Menstruation" section). For decades, Chile had one of the strictest abortion laws in the world, but abortion is now permitted in certain circumstances (see "Abortion" section below for details). Homosexuality is legal, and gay civil unions are recognized by the government.<ref>[https://www.equaldex.com/region/chile Equaldex - Chile]</ref>
In Chile, you will find a range of health care options. You can purchase birth control without a prescription. Emergency contraception (the morning after pill) has been a hotly debated political issue, but it is available for purchase (and, as of 2015, no prescription is required). There are no travel or residency restrictions related to HIV status, and you can get STI tests at public or private facilities. There is currently no known PrEP program in Chile but there is an HPV vaccination program. You can find pads, tampons and menstrual cups in Santiago (there is a specific menstrual cup seller that we list in the "Menstruation" section). For decades, Chile had one of the strictest abortion laws in the world, but abortion is now permitted in certain circumstances (see "Abortion" section below for details). Homosexuality is legal, and gay civil unions are recognized by the government.<ref>[https://www.equaldex.com/region/chile Equaldex - Chile]</ref>
The majority of people in Chile speak the Spanish language. Chilean society tends to be religious on average, with about 67% of the populace identifying as Roman Catholic and 16% identifying as Evangelic or Protestant, according to 2012 data. The majority live in cities as well, with about 88% in urban environments.<ref>[https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ci.html CIA World Factbook: Chile]</ref>


==Contraception (Birth Control)==
==Contraception (Birth Control)==
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===Laws & Social Stigmas===
===Laws & Social Stigmas===


In Chile, emergency contraception (the morning after pill) is legal in Chile. As of 2015, no prescription is required to purchase EC.<ref>[http://www.biobiochile.cl/noticias/2015/09/05/chile-consent-the-morning-after-pill-sale-non-prescription.shtml Chile consent the “morning after pill” non prescription sale]</ref> However, it is a hotly debated and political issue. In 2006, President Michelle Bachelet liberalized contraception policy and made emergency contraception available for free in state-run hospitals, which were available to women ages 14 and up (with no parental consent required).<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/17/world/americas/17chile.html Policy on Morning-After Pill Upsets Chile]</ref> This change inflamed conservative critics. In 2008, the Constitutional Court of Chile banned free distribution of emergency contraception. Furthermore, the court ruled that the hormone levonorgestrel, which is found in EC pills, is “abortive”, and therefore against the right to life.<ref>[https://rewire.news/article/2009/10/19/chile-the-struggle-over-emergency-contraception/ Chile: The Struggle Over Emergency Contraception]</ref> In 2010, a new law allowed teenagers to purchase EC without parental consent.<ref>[http://www.latinpost.com/articles/18075/20140727/sales-of-morning-after-pill-have-tripled-since-2010-in-chile.htm Morning After Pill: Sales Have Tripled Since 2010 in Chile]</ref>
In Chile, emergency contraception (the morning after pill) is legal in Chile. As of 2015, no prescription is required to purchase EC.<ref>[http://www.biobiochile.cl/noticias/2015/09/05/chile-consent-the-morning-after-pill-sale-non-prescription.shtml Chile consent the “morning after pill” non prescription sale]</ref> However, it is a hotly debated and political issue. According to a local source, "... it is illegal for a pharmacist to reject selling the morning-after pill, but this has been known to happen." (April 2019)
 
In 2006, President Michelle Bachelet liberalized contraception policy and made emergency contraception available for free in state-run hospitals, which were available to women ages 14 and up (with no parental consent required).<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/17/world/americas/17chile.html Policy on Morning-After Pill Upsets Chile]</ref> This change inflamed conservative critics. In 2008, the Constitutional Court of Chile banned free distribution of emergency contraception. Furthermore, the court ruled that the hormone levonorgestrel, which is found in EC pills, is “abortive”, and therefore against the right to life.<ref>[https://rewire.news/article/2009/10/19/chile-the-struggle-over-emergency-contraception/ Chile: The Struggle Over Emergency Contraception]</ref> In 2010, a new law allowed teenagers to purchase EC without parental consent.<ref>[http://www.latinpost.com/articles/18075/20140727/sales-of-morning-after-pill-have-tripled-since-2010-in-chile.htm Morning After Pill: Sales Have Tripled Since 2010 in Chile]</ref>


===What to Get & Where to Get It===
===What to Get & Where to Get It===
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However, abortion access is difficult for many Chilean women. According to a 2018 report by FIDH and Citizens' Observatory, the scope of Law 21.030 is narrow, which exposes it to many loopholes.<ref>[https://www.fidh.org/en/region/americas/chile/abortion-in-chile-women-face-countless-obstacles Abortion in Chile: Women face countless obstacles]</ref> For example, a law was passed in 2018 that allowed physicians and medical instutions to deny abortion services on the grounds of conscientious objection, if they oppose abortion for moral or religious reasons.<ref>[http://www.loc.gov/law/foreign-news/article/chile-law-permits-abortion-on-three-grounds/ Chile: Law Permits Abortion on Three Grounds]</ref>
However, abortion access is difficult for many Chilean women. According to a 2018 report by FIDH and Citizens' Observatory, the scope of Law 21.030 is narrow, which exposes it to many loopholes.<ref>[https://www.fidh.org/en/region/americas/chile/abortion-in-chile-women-face-countless-obstacles Abortion in Chile: Women face countless obstacles]</ref> For example, a law was passed in 2018 that allowed physicians and medical instutions to deny abortion services on the grounds of conscientious objection, if they oppose abortion for moral or religious reasons.<ref>[http://www.loc.gov/law/foreign-news/article/chile-law-permits-abortion-on-three-grounds/ Chile: Law Permits Abortion on Three Grounds]</ref>


Furthermore, we have been told by contacts in Chile that: "Within the law, it is established that a woman whose pregnancy falls within the protected circumstances should be offered a "counseling service" (known as "acompañamiento"), whereby she can be accompanied in the decision on whether to interrupt or continue the pregnancy by a multidisciplinary team if she so wishes. Together with being voluntary, the services hould be free and readily available in all hospitals/ clinics that can provide abortion, but, in reality, it has been asked of women to pay for it and it is not available in most places." (April 2019)
Furthermore, there is a "counseling service" requirement to the abortion law.<ref>[http://www.lahora.cl/2018/05/aborto-chile-90-las-mujeres-recibieron-acompanamiento-decidieron-abortar/ Aborto en Chile: El 90 % de las mujeres que recibieron acompañamiento decidieron abortar]</ref> As explained to one of our contacts in Chile: "Within the law, it is established that a woman whose pregnancy falls within the protected circumstances should be offered a 'counseling service' (known as 'acompañamiento'), whereby she can be accompanied in the decision on whether to interrupt or continue the pregnancy by a multidisciplinary team, if she so wishes. Together with being voluntary, the services should be free and readily available in all hospitals/ clinics that can provide abortion -- but, in reality, it has been asked of women to pay for it and it is not available in most places." (April 2019)


Before 2017, abortion was completely illegal without exceptions. However, in August 2017, Chilean lawmakers voted to allow abortions in certain cases.<ref>[http://www.cnn.com/2017/08/03/americas/chile-vote-abortion-ban-eased/index.html Chilean lawmakers vote to ease abortion ban]</ref> This reversed decades of the highly strict Chilean abortion laws, which were among the strictest in the world. These strict abortion laws can be attributed to the military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet (1973-1990). According to these laws, a woman could not seek an abortion, even if the pregnancy endangered her life, if the pregnancy was the result of rape or incest, or if the fetus would not survive the pregnancy. If a woman obtained an abortion in Chile, she could 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>
Before 2017, abortion was completely illegal without exceptions. However, in August 2017, Chilean lawmakers voted to allow abortions in certain cases.<ref>[http://www.cnn.com/2017/08/03/americas/chile-vote-abortion-ban-eased/index.html Chilean lawmakers vote to ease abortion ban]</ref> This reversed decades of the highly strict Chilean abortion laws, which were among the strictest in the world. These strict abortion laws can be attributed to the military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet (1973-1990). According to these laws, a woman could not seek an abortion, even if the pregnancy endangered her life, if the pregnancy was the result of rape or incest, or if the fetus would not survive the pregnancy. If a woman obtained an abortion in Chile, she could 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>
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===Costs===
===Costs===
==LGBTQ Health Care==
===Laws & Social Stigmas===
From our source in Chile: "Not many hospitals in Chile offer services specific for trans people and few professionals have been trained to work with them (with all that might imply, for example, getting a prostate exam for a trans woman in comparison with a cis-man); the health services providing specialised attention for trans people are known as poli-trans and are present in some hospitals.
===What To Get & Where To Get It===
* Organizando Trans Diversidades (OTD): They can provide information on trans rights and sexual health
* [https://www.amandajofre.com/ Amanda Joffré]: This organization works with trans sex workers


==Advocacy & Counseling==
==Advocacy & Counseling==


===Laws & Social Stigmas===
===Laws & Social Stigmas===
* Victims of sexual violence can consult a Centro de Violencia Sexual (CVS, Centre for Sexual Violence), which are public services financed by the Ministry for Women and Gender Equality. The work done by the CVS is very good but there are only about 3 centers across all of Chile, so the waiting list is HUGE; in any case they will be able to refer people needing urgent assistance to the best options close to them.
* People suffering gender violence can contact the Centros de la Mujer (Women's centers), which are basically shelters offering services for women suffering domestic violence.
* As a result of recent scandals of sexual assault and harassment within educational establishment, many students of different universities of Chile have organized in groups known as Secretarías de Género or Vocalías de Género to offer support to other students victim of gender violence, so if a user of the website is visiting Chile to study, they can make contact with the Vocalía/Secretaría de Género of their university (not all universities have one) and find some sort of support.


===What to Get & Where to Get It===
===What to Get & Where to Get It===

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