A Dutch NGO replicated the “Abortion Ship” operation. This time in Guatemala where access to abortion is very limited.
The Dutch NGO “Women on Waves” is restarting its “abortion ship” operation. After Morocco in 2012, it has just landed this Thursday in Guatemala. In this Central American country, abortion is only allowed if the mother’s life is in danger.
As a result, the NGO “Women on Waves” says that each year, nearly 65,000 illegal abortions are performed there. Worse, these acts would have even become the third cause of death of the mother of the country.
The ship arrived in the port of Puerto San José, a city in Guatemala located on the Pacific Rim, located about 100 kilometers south of the capital. The boat will stay there for five days, the NGO said in a statement. “The ship will offer legal and free medical abortions up to ten weeks of pregnancy, after reaching international waters,” she added, stressing that counseling and care services will also be available.
Concerns after the Zika epidemic
Women who have chosen to terminate their pregnancy will for their part receive two pills for medical abortion, an “effective and safe” method, assures the NGO, citing research from the World Health Organization ( WHO).
Finally, the NGO indicates that it has not hesitated to repeat this action because the situation of Guatemalan women is worrying after the Zika virus epidemic that occurred in mid-2015. The virus can indeed cause severe brain damage, often with a reduced head case (microcephaly).
“Women on Waves” has already undertaken similar actions off Morocco, Ireland, Poland, Portugal and Spain, each time leading to protests from groups opposed to abortion.
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