Effects of the Total Abortion Ban in Nicaragua

With little surprise to me, Daniel Ortega's support of banning all forms of abortion in Nicaragua (all in the name of getting the conservative and religious vote in Nicaragua last year) has had disastrous results. A Human Rights Watch report puts the number of women dead at at least 80 since last year's ban, implemented in November, shortly after Ortega's election. The law, banning any form of abortion (even if the mother's life is in danger) has not only doubtlessly increased the number of deaths and injuries from illegal abortions; as the Human Rights Watch points out, it has also led to women becoming fearful of seeing doctors even in totally legal cases of women's health, for fear of prosecution. Likewise, doctors remain fearful of offering legal health services to women, again for fear of prosecution. Thus, pregnant women will continue to die in Nicaragua as long as this law remains in effect, not just through clandestine abortions, but through the failure to get the basic (legal) medical attention they need, due to women's and doctors' fears of prosecution, even if their needs and care are legal.

That Nicaragua passed such a law is incredible; that Ortega so heavily sponsored it is unforgiveable. For all those who insist that banning abortion anywhere will lead to positive results, Nicaragua is now tragically a damning indictment of how terrible such laws are.

(via The Latin Americanist)