Abortion Rights in Catholic Spain are Gaining Ground


A few decades back, the Catholic Church and the draconian Franco regime were very cozy. Franco was Spain's dictator from 1939 to 1975. What could be better, Catholic clergy thought, than a dictatorship we run and that outlaws all abortion? But times are changing. Several Catholic countries in Central and South America have legalized abortion.  Catholic Ireland now has legal abortion. Spain ignored Catholic clergy and make significant improvements in abortion availability in 2010 and 2015. 

A Catholic Bishop in Spain was quoted recently in the New York Times recently as saying, "Bulls from the bull fighting ring are treated better than babies in Spain." I think, in reality, he is more interested in treating bulls well than he is in treating women well.

In several pieces I have read about Spain, doctors who will not perform abortions tell women they will suffer permanent psychological damage by having one. The U.S. study, Turnaway, found this was false. Thus, these doctors in Spain are disseminating false information. Probably, there are doctors in the U.S. still lying to patients as well. Certainly anti abortion groups tell the lie.

Abortion on demand is available in Spain, including its state-run hospitals, up to the 14th week of pregnancy. Later abortions are available for abnormal babies and health of the mother issues. About 3/4 of abortion are performed in private hospitals. In South America private hospitals perform abortions without much or any government supervision. That so many abortion in Spain take place there makes me wonder if the same practice is followed there. 

Women have demanded and obtained abortion rights across much of Europe and South America. Spain is dragging behind a little but the same forces are at work there. The all male Catholic clergy club held sway in Spain for several decades of the Franco regime. Probably its day in the sun has faded away. 

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