**4. Legislation**

It is evidenced that women who have used failed redundant methods of birth control and therefore failed to avoid pregnancy have the only recourse, if they do not really wish or can-

Medical abortion should only be performed by a physician in full exercise rights and knowledge, with the consent of the woman, without religious, ethical, or legal obstacles, and preferably during the first 12 weeks of gestation. The importance of this procedure has led the World Health Organization to make a publication on safe abortion that is already in a second edition [6].

Among so many events that worry those who care for health, abortion is highlighted by the difficulty in presenting appropriate measures to minimize its effects on the population. The problem of abortion presents a difficulty in promoting dialogs, since there are contradictory opinions. In the different societies, ideal values are found in relation to abortion, that is, its fulfillment in conditions necessary from the point of view of health and always complying with ethical and legal precepts. Yet the pattern of behavior shows that many times this ideal has not been attained and abortion is carried out in contravention of health, ethical, and law precepts. With liberality in its realization, abortion has long been

In searching for references to abortion, one already finds that the Hebrews had a code that even punished those who practiced abortion with the death penalty. In Greek mythology, there is a quotation about Aristotle who was in principle opposed to abortion and then agrees to this procedure if the embryo was lifeless. Hippocrates—father of medicine—indeed the forerunner of medical ethics, was an oath-maker that doctors must follow, in which abortion practice is barred. The oath of Hippocrates held in the era before Christ is "I will not give the woman any abortive substance." In the Hammurabi Code, abortion is also punished. In Sparta, abortion was prohibited because of the need for men to take charge of internal security

The issue of abortion became hot when St. Augustine spoke on the subject and then St. Thomas Aquinas differentiated the fetus formed from the fetus in formation. In the Roman Empire,

Since the eighteenth century, despite the small interest that abortion caused in societies, its practice was deprecated, mainly because scientific knowledge had in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries launched new foundations leading the fetus to be recognized as an

With the French Revolution and the emergence of new nations, wars, plagues, and geographical discoveries, new changes occurred in the Western world, population growth slowed, while the need to maintain more effective armies increased. The life of men became valuable and

The idea of a large family led governments in the nineteenth century to protect births for eminent political and ideological reasons, and with that direction, the population grew. After World War II, scientific knowledge revealed techniques and methods that allowed man to live longer. Even so, nations like France, Germany, and Spain have taken more restrictive

not give birth for biological, social, or psychological reasons, to resort to abortion.

a concern of societies.

284 Family Planning

and to provide armies to intervene in times of war.

autonomous entity accepting affirmations to echo the law.

the issue of abortion was also discussed [3].

motherhood was a patriotic activity [7].

measures to abortion.

Rodrigues Torres [2] presents a work comparing legislations of several nations in the twentyfirst century. The picture he presents regarding abortion is as follows:


Cyprus, Greece, Hungary, Spain, Portugal, France, Germany, Lithuania, Estonia, and Luxembourg and Ireland (includes risk of suicide);

Brazil maintains that the criminalization of abortion is not punishable in case of rape or that there is no other way to save the life of the pregnant woman, and it is not considered a crime

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http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.71772

Other countries where abortion is not allowed are Haiti, Suriname, Andorra, and the Vatican. However, the internationally validated human rights system has already recognized that women have the right to freely determine the number of their children and the intervals

This exposition shows how the approach that the various nations give to the treatment to be offered for abortion varies. Different cultures have the same traits; others differ

Alongside the legislation of each country, there is a strong influence of the various religions in all cultures. It is calculated more than 3000 between sects and doctrines that have their

Catholicism as a religion was dominant for the first 1500 years in the Western world after Christ's presence on earth. In 1517, Martin Luther, a friar of the Order of St. Augustine, promoted a great movement breaking the unity of the Church. The Reform also addressed political and social aspects of conflict in Europe. In a major sense, the Reformation refers to other movements within the Catholic Church, such as that of Luther and that of Calvin in Switzerland, which originated the Evangelical Church and that of Henry VIII, in England from which the Anglican Church arose. These movements led to the Council of Trent, initiating a process of internal reform in the Catholic Church. Pope Francis in November 2016 extended to all priests the power to forgive the sin of abortion, which was only delegated to the bishops on a temporary basis. The pardon had already been authorized to all Catholic

By Catholic doctrine, abortion means a serious sin punished with an automatic excommunication of those involved. Forgiveness can only be given by the priests who had this delegation

When one wants to analyze abortion by the religious eye, it is without doubt that the Catholic religion is the first to be observed and deserves the greatest attention. The Catholic Church is not the oldest, but it covers a period of approximately 2000 years and recounts the events of one of the oldest religious institutions in activity, influencing the world in spiritual, religious, moral, political, and socio-cultural aspects. The history of the Church

Catholic is integral to the history of Christianity and the history of Western civilization [2].

The Catholic religion is spoken by the majority of the populations of the Latin nations in the world. Like others such as Anglican, Evangelical, Episcopal, Protestant, Lutheran or Calvinist,

priests during the Year of Mercy, which ended on November 20 [2].

of the Pope after a confession and repentance.

if the fetus is anencephalic.

frontally.

**5. Religion**

is as follows:

dogmas and their peculiarities.

between their births and to decide on their own bodies.


In this work, there is also a passage on the nations of Latin America:

Cuba, which in 1965, legalized abortion up to 12 weeks of gestation and maintains a lower abortion rate of 21 per 1000 women of reproductive age, 10 points below the regional average.

El Salvador, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic criminalized abortion and did not allow exception.

In Chile, the Constitutional Court, in August 2017, passed a law authorizing abortion in case of death risk of pregnant women, when the fetus is not viable and in cases of rape.

In Honduras, because of the Code of Medical Ethics, abortion is allowed to save the life of the pregnant woman.

Argentina, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Peru, and Paraguay admit abortion to save the life of women, and in Argentina, the permit also covers when women do not understand reality and in Venezuela to protect the honor of women and men.

Uruguay, Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, Mexico, Panama, and Guatemala admit abortion in cases of rape or incest, while Uruguay also allows for cases of economic distress and Colombia, Mexico, and Panama allow when fetal malformation occurs.

Brazil maintains that the criminalization of abortion is not punishable in case of rape or that there is no other way to save the life of the pregnant woman, and it is not considered a crime if the fetus is anencephalic.

Other countries where abortion is not allowed are Haiti, Suriname, Andorra, and the Vatican.

However, the internationally validated human rights system has already recognized that women have the right to freely determine the number of their children and the intervals between their births and to decide on their own bodies.

This exposition shows how the approach that the various nations give to the treatment to be offered for abortion varies. Different cultures have the same traits; others differ frontally.
