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Historically, Chilean society has been considered a conservative society.<ref>[https://www.csmonitor.com/1996/1129/112996.intl.intl.6.html In Conservative Chile, What You See Isn't What You Get]</ref> For example, divorce was only legalized in 2004 and, until 2017, abortion was illegal with no exceptions. This cultural conservatism is due to many factors, including decades of military dictatorship and the influence of the Catholic Church. The majority of the populace live in urban centers (88%), and they identify as Roman Catholic (67%), or as Evangelical or Protestant (16%).<ref name="cia worldfactbook_chile">[https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ci.html CIA World Factbook - Chile]</ref> However, Chile is a country in transition, and progressive social mores are becoming more mainstream.<ref>[https://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/articles/2017-01-23/catholic-chile-is-becoming-more-progressive Chile’s Shifting Social Mores]</ref> For this reason, Chilean sexual and reproductive health is in a state of transition. | Historically, Chilean society has been considered a conservative society.<ref>[https://www.csmonitor.com/1996/1129/112996.intl.intl.6.html In Conservative Chile, What You See Isn't What You Get]</ref> For example, divorce was only legalized in 2004 and, until 2017, abortion was illegal with no exceptions. This cultural conservatism is due to many factors, including decades of military dictatorship and the influence of the Catholic Church. The majority of the populace live in urban centers (88%), and they identify as Roman Catholic (67%), or as Evangelical or Protestant (16%).<ref name="cia worldfactbook_chile">[https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ci.html CIA World Factbook - Chile]</ref> However, Chile is a country in transition, and progressive social mores are becoming more mainstream.<ref>[https://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/articles/2017-01-23/catholic-chile-is-becoming-more-progressive Chile’s Shifting Social Mores]</ref> For this reason, Chilean sexual and reproductive health is in a state of transition. | ||
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, | 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> | ||
==Contraception (Birth Control)== | ==Contraception (Birth Control)== | ||
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===Laws & Social Stigmas=== | ===Laws & Social Stigmas=== | ||
In Chile, abortion is permitted in certain circumstances, which include: when the pregnancy endangers the life of the pregnant person, when the fetus will not survive the pregnancy, and during the first 12 weeks for adults or 14 weeks for people under 14 years old in cases of rape.<ref>[http://www.diariooficial.interior.gob.cl/publicaciones/2017/09/23/41866/01/1276248.pdf REGULA LA DESPENALIZACIÓN DE LA INTERRUPCIÓN VOLUNTARIA DEL EMBARAZO EN TRES CAUSALES, 2017]</ref> For all other cases, abortion is illegal. This means that abortion is not available upon request. We also do not know how often health care providers permit pregnant people to obtain abortions, even if the abortions fulfill the criteria (please update this page if you have information). | |||
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> | |||
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> | 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> | ||
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> | |||
For | Due to the incredibly strict abortion laws, many women resorted to unsafe clandestine abortions for decades. The new abortion laws permit some women to receive abortion services, but they still do not permit abortion upon request. For this reason, it is important to understand that many Chilean women may seek abortions from clandestine providers or abroad. 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, poor women 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=== | ||
* Abortion is legally permitted in certain circumstances (see above section), but it is not available upon request. | |||
* You can potentially get the "abortion pill" by mail. Check out [https://www.womenonweb.org/en/i-need-an-abortion this link] for details | * 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." You can also visit their [https://www.facebook.com/abortosegurochile/ Facebook page]. Email: femilesinfo@gmail.com | * [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." You can also visit their [https://www.facebook.com/abortosegurochile/ Facebook page]. Email: femilesinfo@gmail.com | ||