The data was also reported by a media outlet as follows: “(Doctors) argue that Bolivia`s abortion law has shortcomings.” However, there are no such regulations in the country. From the date of the judgment, it is sufficient to file a complaint of rape and consent of the victim. A copy of this complaint is the only thing that needs to be submitted. In which cases can abortion be performed according to the norm? On September 28, coincidentally or not, World Day for the Decriminalization of Abortion, a few hours before the end of the day, women`s organizations and activists fell asleep and knew that the Congress of Deputies had approved Article 153 by a majority. Now there remains his approval in the Senate, where 2 days ago he began to discuss the penal code in detail. Another step among many that still needs to be taken to ensure that medical and judicial services enforce the law and do not re-victimize women who have a legal abortion or report it to the police. An initiative that we hope will not be hindered by conservative decisions such as the recent Plurinational Constitutional Court on Law 807 on Gender Identity, which deprived the country`s trans community of its most basic rights. One step among many that will remain to achieve complete decriminalization. It seems that it is on the right track, but from activism and organized civil society, we will be vigilant. Conscientious objection was an important topic of discussion before the adoption of this standard, as several medical©associations announced that they would use it to block the planned expansion of legal abortion cases in practice.

In 2014, the Bolivian Constitutional Court issued judgment 0206 of 2014, which means progress that you should be aware of. This constitutional judgment makes it clear that the requirement for access to abortion is the consent of the woman (girl, adolescent, adolescent, adult), which is why it can be confirmed that every woman, regardless of age, has the right to have an abortion in these circumstances. In addition, the 153 allows abortion within 8 weeks (still very limited period of time, because many women do not know that they are pregnant during this period, because not all menstrual cycles are set at 28 days like a clock) in cases where the woman is a student or responsible for the elderly, disabled or minors. These are causes that have caused widespread controversy in Bolivian society, partly because of prejudices, especially religious and the lack of adequate comprehensive sexuality education, but which prevent the death of women, especially those with fewer resources, who live in rural areas far from a clinic and who, in many cases, have an Indigenous face. The decision states: “The filing of a complaint or the existence of a credit and/or a formal indictment is not required. It will be sufficient for a woman who goes to a public or private health centre for the purpose of performing an abortion, because the pregnancy is the result of a crime, to communicate this situation to the competent authority, and in this way the professional doctor who will perform the abortion has explicit proof that he will justify doing so. The Constitutional Court has ruled that rape victims do not need court approval or criminal prosecution to obtain a legal abortion. For women whose life or health is in danger as a result of pregnancy, only the medical report is required. In both cases, the woman`s consent is also important. Clandestine abortion is the third leading cause of maternal death in the country.

[8] You do not need court approval or criminal proceedings to have access to a legal abortion in cases of rape, incest or legal rape. With regard to abortion methods that cause the high number of deaths and health problems for those who perform them, the low access to safe methods is highlighted. Surgical and drug methods accounted for 56.6% and 21% of cases, respectively. The remaining 21% switched to the use of infusions, injections, falls, loading heavy objects and inserting items into the vagina. One of the reasons to choose these less preferred methods is the cost, more than 51% of women who had abortions had additional costs on 250bs. Given the psychological factor of carrying out this action, the low effectiveness of induced interruption methods is emphasized. 1 in 3 abortions failed on the first attempt, 1 in 10 abortions had to be performed on the third attempt. [7] Article 153 does not decriminalize abortion, which is what many organizations and activists who are part of the September 28 campaign and the National Pact for the Decriminalization of Abortion in Bolivia want, but it does elaborate on the causes for which a woman will have access to a legal and safe abortion. This is essential in a country with one of the highest maternal mortality rates in all of Latin America and the Caribbean, where abortion is the third cause and where it is estimated that about 200 women abort every day in secret places (remember that Bolivia currently has 11 million inhabitants).

Abortions performed under conditions of secrecy and uncertainty, in poorly ventilated and dirty rooms and, in many cases, by people who lack the necessary professionalism. Abortions that take women`s lives and leave many others in situations of disability. Article 153 extends the conditions under which abortion is already permitted, namely rape, incest, legal rape and the risk to the health of the mother; and includes the cause of life-incompatible fetal malformations, assisted reproduction, to which the woman has not consented, and in cases where the pregnant woman is a girl or adolescent girl.