Members of Colombia’s governing coalition expressed support for Liberal Party presidential candidate Rafael Pardo’s plan to make the morning-after pill available for girls under fifteen.
Pardo on Monday proposed to “responsibly” allow girls younger than fifteen to be able to take the pill to reduce the number of pregnancies among teenagers.
The Liberal’s proposal was immediately followed by calls by Inspector General Alejandro Ordoñez, a conservative Catholic, to ban the morning-after pill, because, according to the IG, the pill can be used not just to prevent fertilization, but also to abort an already existing pregnancy. Abortion in Colombia is only allowed in very few circumstances.
Efrain Torrado, Vice President of the Senate and member of the Partido de la U, supported Pardo and told newspaper El Espectador that Colombia needs to do more to prevent teenage pregnancies. According to the Senator, most of the coalition agrees with Pardo.