Pan American Health
Organization Defends
Emergency Contraception
In Costa Rica
Criticizing Costa Rica,
Guyana and Haiti,
because they have not
approved emergency
contraception, an expert
from the Pan American
Health Organization (PAHO),
defended the provision
of the "The day after
pill" for the poorest.
PAHO expert, Bremen De
Muccio, said that groups
opposed to the Emergency
Oral Contraceptive, see
the pill as abortive and
against religious
beliefs.
De Muccio said he agrees
with legislator Ana
Helena Chacón, who
assured that our country
is indebted to the
people to legislate on
issues of Rights in
Health Sexual and
Reproductive Health.
Chacon emphasized the
importance of working on
the issue of inequities
in access to health, and
the correlation between
poverty and fertility.
During a forum at the
Legislative Assembly, De
Muccio explained that
countries such as Chile,
social security
prohibits access to the
Day After Pill to girls
under age 14 without the
parental consent, which
directly affects the
poor.
"It punishes people who
go to public health
services as in Chile
where if a teenager goes
to seek a pill for
emergency contraception,
she must be accompanied
by their parents, so
that it is more likely
for the girl to become
pregnant" said De Muccio.
"What happens is that
the person who goes to
social security is the
person with no money,
the person with money
goes to the corner
pharmacy to purchase the
pill without
restrictions because the
pill is sold in Latin
America without a
prescription", added De
Muccio.
The PAHO regional
adviser explained that
only three countries:
Costa Rica, Guyana and
Haiti, have yet to
approve emergency
contraception.
The possibility to free
access to the emergency
contraceptive is
included in a proposal
by Chacón as part of the
reforms to the Ley
General de Salud
(general Health laws),
which includes a chapter
on Derechos en Salud
Sexual y Salud (Sexual
Health and Rights in
Reproductive Health).
"There is no country
that has been able to
emerge from
underdevelopment without
clear policies in
population and
development. We want
this project (law),
closing a gap that Costa
Rica has had
historically. We are
going to legislate for
life and for human
rights", said
Chacón. |
