Only 7,000 of Colombia’s annual abortions are estimated to be legal.
The Guttmacher Institute, an international research and policy group that works in the area of sexual and reproductive health, estimates that 99% of abortions in Colombia are performed outside of the law.
Director of Profamilia, Marta Royo said that 7,000 women will have come to the private institution specialized in sexual and reproductive health by the end of 2015, according to Caracol Radio.
In Colombia, abortion was illegal under any circumstance until 2006. Currently it is only legal under three circumstances; when continuation of the pregnancy presents a risk to the life or health of the mother, when there are serious malformations of the fetus that render it unviable and when the pregnancy is the result of rape, incest, or artificial insemination or implantation of a fertilised ovum without consent.
According to Royo, women are running a great risk undergoing the procedure in unapproved places where there are no professionals present to ensure safety.
In a report by the World Health Organization, it was said that in countries where women have access to safe abortion services, the risk of death is 1 in every 100,000 procedures.
The Guttmacher Institute says that up to 67% of pregnancies that occur in Colombia are unwanted, which is a major reason for the levels of abortion in the country. The institute argues that the limited access to safe abortions is causing women to risk their lives and their health – an argument that is supported by Profamilia.
