Ana (2014) – Spain

Woman suffers serious harm after being denied right to information on serious condition affecting her fetus

Ana (not her real name) was denied information on the serious condition affecting her fetus for almost six weeks. Due to this violation of her right to information, as well as the discrimination she faced in the Santa Lucía de Cartagena Public Hospital in Murcia, she was not able to access abortion services in a dignified way, and as a result suffered serious physical and psychological harm. After the public hospitals in Murcia refused to perform a termination, Ana was forced to travel to Madrid at her own expense to undergo an abortion.

Unfortunately, cases such as Ana’s have been seen across Spain (also see the stories of Paula and Irena). According to data from the Ministry of Health, there are four regions in Spain, including Murcia, whose public health systems did not perform a single abortion in 2014. Women’s Link is suing the health department of the Region of Murcia, Spain, for violating Ana’s rights.

Read full article: Women’s Link Worldwide, March 7, 2017