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Nearly 2,000 health professionals have signed a manifesto against the abortion bill in Spain

[Madrid, 28 February 2014. Federación de Planificación Familiar Estatal Press Release] A Manifesto against the abortion bill was launched in Madrid and signed by nearly 2,000 health professionals.

"What scares the government is the empowerment of women"

1970 specialists in gynecology, genetics, psychiatry, public health and other specialties related to sexual and reproductive health have signed a manifesto calling for the bill, proposed by the government to regulate abortion, is not approved. The manifesto, which was publicly presented in Madrid, warns that "the Spanish public opinion must decide positions in favor of health, legal and social realities of countries with laws that respect the right of women to decide, or if they want emulate those who do not, endangering the lives of women. "

Javier Martínez Salman, gynecologist, recalled that the existing law of 2010 regulated the abortion without causing problems and regretted that the draft bill which Government wants to approve "seeks to involve health professionals in a guardianship women that undermines their rights and also aims to boss around professionals. "

Eudoxia Gay, president of the Spanish Society of Neuropsychiatry, has warned that "we are ready to give battle until the end, because this government proposal submit women and their families to deter a long journey that will lengthen times, exclude the poorest and bring suffering then for sure it will have to be treated by professionals in mental health "because this bill" can increase the number of anxious or depressive processes linked to this lengthening times for women who choose abortion. "

For Pilar Martínez Ten, gynecologist and specialist in prenatal diagnosis, "with this bill, abortion for malformation is almost impossible. These diagnoses are usually done around 20 weeks of pregnancy, and the long process that raises the proposed law, in practice we would approach 23, 24 or 25 weeks, when the government’s proposal would only allow abortion in these cases to week 22. And it is important to remark that there are anomalies that can only be diagnosed with more advanced pregnancies. And we’re not talking about minor malformations.

The promoters expressed their intention to submit the manifesto to the President of Government, the Minister of Health and Minister of Justice to suspend the proposed draft law and open a broad debate that serves to advance the sexual and reproductive health in Spain

Following these links you will find the manifesto (in Spanish and in English)

Picture Ayuntamiento de Fuenlabrada: Demonstration "El Tren de la Libertad", 1 Febrero, Madrid.

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