Venezuela

ABORTION POLICY
Grounds on wh !h a"or# on s $er% ##ed: To save the life of the woman To preserve physical health To preserve mental health Rape or incest Foetal impairment Economic or social reasons Available on request Add # onal re&u re%en#s' An abortion may be performed only with the written consent of the woman, her husband or her le al representative! The procedure must be carried out in a suitable environment, usin all possible scientific resources! Yes No No No No No No

REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CONTEXT

"overnment view on fertility level: "overnment intervention concernin fertility level: "overnment policy on contraceptive use: %ercenta e of currently married women usin modern contraception &a ed '()**, '+,,-: Total fertility rate &'++()0111-: A e)specific fertility rate &per ',111 women a ed '()'+, '++()0111-: "overnment has e2pressed particular concern about: 3orbidity and mortality resultin from induced abortion 4omplications of childbearin and childbirth 3aternal mortality ratio &per '11,111 live births, '++1-: National #outh America Female life e2pectancy at birth &'++()0111-: #atisfactory To lower $irect support provided ./ .!1 +/ No No '01 051 ,(!,

Source: %opulation %olicy $ata 6an7 maintained by the %opulation $ivision of the $epartment of Economic and #ocial Affairs of the 8nited Nations #ecretariat! For additional sources, see list of references!

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Venezuela
BAC(GROUND
8nder the 4riminal 4ode of 0 9une '+5*, the performance of abortions is enerally ille al in :ene;uela! A person who provo7es the abortion of a woman with her consent is sub<ect to '0 to .1 months= imprisonment! >f the woman does not consent, the penalty is increased to '( months= to three years= imprisonment! A woman who intentionally performs her own abortion or consents to its performance by another person is sub<ect to si2 months= to two years= imprisonment! ?arsher penalties are applied if the abortion results in the death of the woman or if it is performed by the husband of the woman or by a health professional! $ecreased penalties are applied if the abortion was carried out by a woman to preserve her own honour or carried out by another person to preserve the honour of a spouse, mother, descendant, sister or adoptive child! Nonetheless, under the 4riminal 4ode, an abortion may be le ally performed by a health professional if necessary to save the life of a pre nant woman! 3oreover, the 4ode of 3edical Ethics of '+,' authori;es an abortion to be performed for @therapeutic purposes,A althou h it does not define what therapeutic purposes are! #uch an abortion may be performed only with the written consent of the woman, her husband or her le al representative! >n case of emer ency, however, the favourable opinion of another physician may suffice, if this can be obtained! A therapeutic abortion must be performed in a suitable environment, usin all possible scientific resources! The physician selected to perform the abortion must inform the relatives if the pre nant woman is sufferin from ma<or obstetric complications and must clearly e2plain the procedure to be followed, with a view to obtainin their consent! >n the event of a diver ence of opinion, the physician must, where possible, transfer the case to another professional practitionerB otherwise, e2cept in an emer ency, the physician must request the relatives of the woman to ma7e a written statement that they do not consent to the proposed procedure! %roposals to reform the :ene;uelan %enal 4ode, which were introduced in the National 4on ress in '+/5, included recommendations to permit abortion on therapeutic rounds to preserve the physical and mental health of the motherB in cases of rape or incestB for eu enic reasons, in cases where either of the parents suffers from oli ophrenia or epilepsy and a foetal in<ury is suspected, accordin to the opinion of three specialistsB and in cases where the mother has suffered any sic7ness or e2posure to radiation that mi ht produce mental or physical defects in the foetus! These proposals, however, have not been incorporated into the %enal 4ode! Accordin to official data, complications from ille al abortions, which are often performed with unsterili;ed instruments by untrained persons, accounted for 0*!5 per cent of all maternal deaths in :ene;uela durin the period '+/1)'+/.! 6y '++(, that number had declined to '.!5 per cent, accordin to the %an American ?ealth Cr ani;ation! The "overnment of :ene;uela has permitted the radual e2pansion of family plannin , for health) related reasons as well as to lower fertility! The total fertility rate has fallen in the period '+,1)0111 from (!+ children per woman to .! The health)related aims of the national maternal and child health and family plannin pro ramme include providin safe and efficient contraceptives to help women avoid unwanted pre nanciesB and contributin to the reduction of fertility rates amon hi h)ris7 roups, such as adolescents and women with pre nancies spaced less than two years apart! A '+,, study reported a modern contraceptive prevalence rate of ./ per cent! #terili;ation is permitted in :ene;uela only for medical or eu enic reasons! The "overnment views the hi h incidence of ille itimate births and abortion as a social problem that can be alleviated by the increased
Source: %opulation %olicy $ata 6an7 maintained by the %opulation $ivision of the $epartment of Economic and #ocial Affairs of the 8nited Nations #ecretariat! For additional sources, see list of references!

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Venezuela
provision of family life education and family plannin services! >n '+/,, the "overnment created the 3inistry of the Family, the first and only institution of its type in Datin America, to coordinate sectoral pro rammes dealin with youth, women and the elderly! A pro<ect promotin family life and se2 education in the informal sector was be un throu h the 3inistry of Youth in '+/,! Reco ni;in the social and health problems associated with adolescent childbearin , the "overnment established the permanent 4ommission for the %revention of Adolescent %re nancy!

Source: %opulation %olicy $ata 6an7 maintained by the %opulation $ivision of the $epartment of Economic and #ocial Affairs of the 8nited Nations #ecretariat! For additional sources, see list of references!

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