Abortion Hotline Launched to Serve Women in Anti-Choice Ecuador

Recently, a safe abortion hotline was launched to offer help to women living in Ecuador, a staunchly anti-choice country. Begun by the Dutch organization WOW (Women on Waves), the new hotline serves women by providing reproductive health information, including options for safe, at-home medical abortions. The hotline had a grand launch with activists hanging a banner advertising the service on a religious statue overlooking the capital city of Quito.

Due to a high degree of violence against women, along with poor health care and educational opportunities, thousands of dangerous and illegal abortions are performed in Ecuador every year, leading to 20,000 to 30,000 hospitalizations annually. Currently in Ecuador, abortion is a crime in all situations except for when the woman’s life is in danger and she consents to the procedure, or if the pregnancy is the result of the rape of an insane or mentally retarded woman.

Learn more about the NAF Hotline.
Read more from NAF member Marcy Bloom.