Chilean Appeals Court suspends Government plan to distribute emergency contraception at no cost to girls

Sep 18 2006

The Santiago, Chile, Appeals Court last Wednesday in a split decision issued a temporary injunction on the government's plan to distribute emergency contraceptive pills in public clinics to girls ages 14 and older at no cost and without parental consent until lawsuits challenging the plan are resolved, Reuters AlertNet reports (Reuters AlertNet, 9/13).

Chilean Health Minister Maria Soledad Barria earlier this month announced the government's plans to distribute EC, which can prevent pregnancy if taken up to 72 hours after sexual intercourse and since 2001 has been available in pharmacies in Chile by prescription.

It also has been available to teenagers with parental consent.

However, EC -- which costs about $20 in the country -- has only been accessible to the middle and upper classes, some people have said (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 9/13).

Chilean President Michelle Bachelet said, "Any person with a doctor's prescription can buy [EC], because it's been legalized for sale, but there are people with fewer resources who can't buy it, and so we have opted to provide it at doctors' office as needed" (EFE News Service, 9/13).

Two parents and La Florida, Chile, Mayor Pablo Zalaquett filed lawsuits seeking to block implementation of the law, according to Alejandro Espinoza, a spokesperson for Chile's Supreme Court. Zalaquett last week said the government's plan would violate parental rights to make decisions about contraception and pregnancy (Walsh, Bloomberg, 9/13).

"We are not against distribution of [EC], but we are against its distribution without the knowledge of the parents," Juan Antonio Espina, one of the attorneys for the parents, said. The government said it would appeal the Santiago court's ruling (Reuters AlertNet, 9/13).