Abortion in Chile

All types of abortion in Chile, including those done for a therapeutic purpose, are illegal.

To avoid legal problems, desperate women may attempt to force an unsafe abortion. When they arrive at the hospital, the abortion is completed without issues, but at risk of their health. In order to counter this problem, the Chilean Government started supporting family planning activities in the mid-1960s. This has caused the incidence of illegal abortion and related deaths to decline: deaths due to abortion complications dropped from 118 to 24 per 100,000 live births between 1964 and 1979. From 1990 to 2000, the maternal mortality rate related to unsafe abortion dropped further, contributing to a 60.3% reduction of the total maternal mortality rate during this time period.

The illegality of therapeutic abortion extends to cases of tubal or ectopic pregnancy. Although embryos implanted in the fallopian tube cannot survive, the law requires waiting until the final stage of pregnancy before termination, risking the womans's health and raising the probability of the loss of a fallopian tube.

The topic has not yet been discussed in the Senate of Chile since the introduction of the law.

A July 2006 MORI survey found that 26% of Chileans believed that abortion is "justified" while 74% believe that it is not.