- Abortion exists and will continue to exist. It has been part of reproductive health throughout history.
- On March 28, activists, feminists and abortion rights advocates mobilize for the Global Day for Stigma-Free Abortions.
The Global Day for Stigma-Free Abortion seeks to transform the narratives and conversations around abortion, disseminate reliable information and promote safe spaces for those who exercise this right and for those who accompany or perform abortions.
Ipas Latin America and the Caribbean (Ipas LAC) reinforces the importance of combating hate narratives and misinformation, promoting access to evidence-based information, dignified treatment, and respect for the reproductive rights and autonomy of women and others with reproductive capacity.
“Stigma toward abortion is not harmless. It restricts access to this service and encourages legal persecution. The current political situation in Latin America and the Caribbean means that, more than ever, we must demand an end to criminalization and to narratives that leave those who have abortions alone and silent. The decision to have an abortion is a normal, individual and private decision, and as such should be supported by the state,” says Mara Zaragoza, Ipas LAC’s Deputy Director of Empowerment.
Stigma also restricts access to safe abortion, manifesting itself in policies of extreme regulation or total prohibition, in the refusal of medical personnel to perform abortions for moral reasons, in social isolation and discriminatory acts that violate the rights and dignity of those who seek abortion.
“The seriousness of the stigma is that it makes us doubt ourselves, feel ashamed or afraid to ask for accompaniment or the simple fact of sharing this decision with our trusted people,” adds Mara Zaragoza.
Main abortion stigmas
“Abortion is not normal.”
Abortion is one of the most common reproductive health practices. Regardless of whether it is legalized or not, an estimated 73 million abortions are performed worldwide each year[1]. 1] Sixty-one percent of unwanted pregnancies and 29% of all pregnancies are terminated voluntarily. This means that, globally, 1 in 3 women will undergo an abortion at some point in her life.
“Abortion is a dangerous practice.”
According to the World Health Organization, when abortion is performed by trained personnel and with methods recommended by the same organization, it is even safer than childbirth. In fact, medical abortion is 99%[2] effective.
Although it is a common procedure, criminalization and stigma encourage people to have unsafe abortions performed by unqualified personnel in places that do not provide the necessary conditions and with non-recommended supplies or technologies, which do not meet the expected quality standards. The number of unsafe abortions is higher in countries with restrictive laws that limit access to safe abortion services.
“Those who have abortions are irresponsible.”
The reasons why women and pregnant women and pregnant women have abortions are varied[3], as each one experiences different situations and contexts. The reasons may range from:
- Being a victim of sexual violence.
- Not having the means to raise a child.
- Difficulty in accessing contraceptive methods, lack of information or failure of contraceptive methods.
- Existence of malformations of the fetus that make it incompatible for life.
- Have conditions that worsen or pose a risk with pregnancy.
- Or simply because you don’t want to be a mother at that time.
Pigeonholing those who engage in this practice as reckless minimizes the complexity of their realities and the multiple reasons that may lead them to make this decision.
“People who have abortions end up unhappy or regretful.”
Ipas LAC has reported that safe, non-stigmatized abortion does not cause mental health sequelae for women. On the other hand, forcing someone to continue an unwanted pregnancy, in addition to being a form of violence, can affect a person’s emotional and physical stability.
Let’s remove the stigma!
Everyone knows someone who has experienced an abortion, abortions have always existed and will continue to exist; therefore, Ipas LAC prepared the live broadcast from Instagram (@ipasLAC) “Decidir sin culpa: hablemos sobre aborto y estigma” (Decide without guilt: let’s talk about abortion and stigma), where Mara Zaragoza explained three recommendations to combat prejudices and false beliefs:
- Talk without taboos: if you had an abortion and you want to tell, do it at your own pace. It helps other people.
- Challenge out-of-place comments: “Why are you saying that?”, “Do you know what abortion involves?”.
- To inform and share truthful and scientifically backed data to eliminate false beliefs and eradicate misinformation.
“No one should feel bad about deciding about their body. The problem is not abortion: it’s the stigma that surrounds it. “The deputy director of Empowerment pointed out during the live broadcast.
Relive the livestream“Deciding without guilt: let’s talk about abortion and stigma“:
Global Day for Stigma-Free Abortion is an effort of more than 180 organizations from around the world. To learn more visit: www.march28.org
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[1] World Health Organization (2021). https://www.who.int/es/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/abortion
[2] National Library of Medicine (2022). Safety and effectiveness of self-managed medication abortion provided using online telemedicine in the United States: A population based study.
[3] Ipas LAC (2021). Why do women have abortions?
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Coordinadora de Vinculación con Medios: Irene Vázquez Gudiño [email protected] / +52 55 3428 0544
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