Senator Virginia Velasco Condori is participating in the VIII International Parliamentarians’ Conference on the Implementation of the Program of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), which is being held from April 10 to 12 in Oslo, Norway.
After more than 35 hours of flight and air stopovers, the legislator arrived Wednesday afternoon in the capital of Norway, in official commission of the Senate, in whose international event she will socialize the draft bill on Sexual and Reproductive Rights, which includes among its most important points, the voluntary interruption of pregnancy carried out in the National Health System.
This International Parliamentarians’ Conference on the Implementation of the ICPD Programme of Action is based on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, to contribute to the capacity of parliamentarians to promote sexual and reproductive health and rights in their countries. In addition, they aim to create partnerships and cooperation between legislators from different nations, health advocates and human rights movements.
In this context, Senator Velasco informed that the purpose of this bill is to establish the legal framework for the adoption of public policies, plans, programs and strategies; the strengthening of institutional capacities and the organization of sexual and reproductive rights services in compliance with the Political Constitution of the State, international human rights instruments, treaties and conventions ratified by the Plurinational State of Bolivia.
Future regulation that contemplates the following general guidelines: a) Planning and public management and sexual and reproductive health services with prevention policies and comprehensive multidisciplinary care.
b). Regulates public policies on sexual rights and reproductive rights with respect to the central level of the State and the Autonomous Territorial Entities – ETA’s, within the framework of their competencies.
c). It contemplates public policies on education and comprehensive health for sexuality and reproduction, through the central level of the State and the guarantee in the design and implementation of such policies for the education and comprehensive health of the entire population in a broad, secular and inclusive manner.
d). Regulates the free, prior and informed consent in Sexual Health and Reproductive Health services, on any person who has the right to decide autonomously to undergo examinations, expert opinions, interviews and any type of therapeutic or medical procedure, or any other procedure concerning their Sexual Rights and Reproductive Rights;
e). Regulates access to modern contraceptive methods at all levels through public health services and short-term social security, will provide and guarantee free and timely access to modern, effective and affordable contraceptive methods, including emergency oral contraception and definitive contraceptive methods, prior information, guidance and counseling.
VOLUNTARY INTERRUPTION OF PREGNANCY
F). It also regulates the procedures for the care of victims of sexual violence as an act of priority care, without the demand of any type of requirement; care in the services of detection test for STIs, hepatitis B, preventive treatment of antiretroviral HIV / AIDS, emergency contraception, voluntary interruption of pregnancy, in the National Health System.
g). In order to have access to the termination of pregnancy, the only requirement, in all cases, shall be the signature of the informed consent of the pregnant woman, without the health facility being able to demand any other formality, requirement, formality or prior procedure of any nature.
h). In cases of legal termination of pregnancy, the following must also be complied with: In cases of risk to the life and health of the pregnant person or in cases of lethal congenital malformations incompatible with life, a medical report shall be required.
In case of rape, statutory rape or incest, the current protocol of care must be followed.
In the case of girls, the fact must be reported to the authorities because the pregnancy is considered to be the result of rape; in the case of adolescents who state that they have been victims of sexual violence, the person in charge of the health facility must report the fact to the competent authorities.