Spain: a bill gives permission to have an abortion from the age of 16 without parental consent

Spain aims to reform its abortion law so that women who decide to terminate their pregnancy can do so in public hospitals. And for what young people aged 16 and 17 Pregnant women who want to face this voluntary delay can do so again, as established by a previous law appealed by the Popular Party to the Constitutional Court, without the consent of their parents.

The controversial preliminary bill also postulates there is paid leave for painful menstrual cycles and a paid prenatal leave from the 39th week of pregnancy.

draft, to amend Law 2/2010, It was approved on Tuesday at the meeting of the Council of Ministers. This is part of the agreement that Pedro Sánchez’s PSOE signed with United We Can to form a coalition that will govern Spain since 2020.

“This is the lawclear barriers to exercise the right to voluntary termination of pregnancy and also recognized new sexual, menstrual and reproductive rights to facilitate the daily lives of women in our country ”, said the Minister of Equality, Irene Montero, at a press conference organized at the Palacio de la Moncloa at the end of the cabinet meeting.

“The rule (the menstrual cycle) it will stop being taboo. For the first time, we recognize, from public policy, the right to menstrual health as part of women’s right to sexual and reproductive health ”, the minister stressed.

resistance of conscience

Conscience will also be resolved for doctors and nurses who refuse to perform an abortion and guarantee the free access to contraception. “There are always health professionals who perform voluntary interruption of pregnancy,” Montero said.

The destruction it has been legal in Spain since 1985. There are no official figures about how many pregnancy terminations have been conducted annually since mark maintenance is not allowed.

It is known, however, that 88,000 women were aborted in Spain in 2020.

And despite the fact that this is a practice to which all Spanish women throughout the territory should have access, there is eight provinces where one is not yet accustomed.

The Ministry of Health admits that 86 per cent of pregnancy delays conducted in Spain are made in private clinics, although financially supported by Public Health. This is one of the main aspects who wants to be deleted by the new draft.

Pushed by Montero -mother of three children of Pablo Iglesias, former vice president and one of the founders of Podemos-, the draft did not agree, however, with everything proposed by Montero’s ministry.

was left VAT reduction for women’s hygiene products as well as the possibility that those Spanish couples who use surrogacy -not allowed in Spain- will be persecuted around the world.

Parental consent

Some judges question that after the age of 16 women can have an abortion without needing their parents ’consent.

They argue that, as with those between the ages of 16 and 18, young people who still live with their parents they cannot buy alcoholic beverages no cigarettes, not even getting a tattoo without the consent of her mother or father, termination of the pregnancy must be something for live in family privacy.

Minister Montero replied: “A woman, in Spain, with 16, 17 years may decide voluntarily, according to our law, work or undergo life or death surgery. And none of this requires parental consent. Therefore, you should not need it to perform voluntary termination of pregnancy.

Clarion referred to the president of the Bioethics Committee of Spain, Federico de Montalvo, who preferred not to make a statement because the Committee had not yet ruled on the draft.

For Montero, “what the State is doing with this reform is respecting women’s decisions and the right of women to decide in their own bodies.”

“It is clear that most 16- or 17-year-old women, if they face voluntary termination of pregnancy, will not only make that decision, but will make it to people they trust, including their friends, including their parents, their relatives ”, considered the minister.

“But the decision is up to you. What this law does remove mandatory consent, whose focus of the decision is on fathers and mothers. But, obviously, most 16-year-old, 17-year-old women will expect their loved ones to deal with a decision that is usually not easy, ”she argues.

Menstrual licenses

The coalition government stressed, in approving this bill, that it aims to save the rights associated with women’s menstrual health.

“What is embarrassing is that women have to live our rule (menstrual cycle) from sorrow, from shame, from guilt “, said Montero.

And he continued: “That we have to wear tampax or a compress more time than we should without leaving work. The embarrassing thing is disabled disease, the only anonymous and can prevent you from working. Therefore, the State, which is one will cover the casualties (licenses), guarantees a right “.

And he added: “These casualties will be regulated by a temporary incapacity that the State is assumed to have unlimited days. ”

“We are the first country in Europe to regulate for the first time temporary disability fully paid for by the State for the rules painful and harmful he insisted. No more working with pain. We no longer take pills before coming to work and have to keep it a secret that in those days we are in pain that makes us unable to work. “

The government will also commit to distribute products for free of feminine intimate hygiene and contraceptives.

According to the Organization of Consumers and Users, a Spanish woman spends, between the ages of 12 and 50, what can be considered, on average, a rich life, more than two thousand euros on pads and tampons.

“I am very proud that we are the first country in Europe to start talking about an issue that until now has been lived from taboo, the shame, the loneliness of women who are so strong period pains (menstrual cycle) and they are swollen until . pills in the morning, ”Montero said a day before the cabinet meeting where the draft was approved.

Madrid. Correspondent

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