Colombia, SA High Court Further Affirms Women's Right to Abortion Within Existing Laws

Colombia’s Constitutional Court has upheld a woman’s right to obtain an abortion according to circumstances outlined in 2006: when a pregnancy threatens a woman’s life or health, in cases of rape, incest and in cases where the fetus has malformations incompatible with life outside the womb.

This past week on October 19th, the court reinforced that decision by ruling that under those circumstances in which abortion is legal, women “enjoy a right to decide, free from any pressure, coercion, urging, manipulation and, in general, any sort of inadmissible intervention, to terminate a pregnancy … it is forbidden to raise any obstacles, requirements or additional barriers.”

Colombia’s ruling regarding women’s abortion rights was made even clearer with these provisions:

* Orders all hospitals and/or health centers, whether they are public or private, secular or religious, to have qualified medical professionals on staff available to perform abortions.
* Obligates health professionals to guarantee a patient’s confidentiality and right to privacy and dignity when seeking an abortion.
* Forbids medical professionals from seeking additional requirements for patients seeking an abortion such as demanding forensic medical reports, judicial orders, health examinations not practiced timely, authorizations from family, legal consultants, auditors, or multiple doctors.
* Prohibits holding medical or auditors’ meetings to review or approve abortion requests that result in an unjustified delay of the procedure.
* Reaffirms the 2006 decision prohibiting institutions or judicial authorities from refusing teenagers under 14-years of age an abortion, stating that teenagers are capable of deciding whether or not they want to terminate a pregnancy have the right to receive abortion services without the authorization of their parents.
* Calls on the Ministry of Education and Social Protection to implement a plan to educate Colombian women on their sexual and reproductive rights, including their right to an abortion. via Newsblaze.com