Published
Video duration:
2 min
In Tunisia, the half-century-old right to abortion remains under threat. The cause is a lack of resources in health services and family planning, but also the weight of society’s view of this intervention.
In a clinic in Tunis (Tunisia)Salma comes to follow up with her gynecologist, after her first voluntary termination of pregnancy (IVG). She wished to remain anonymous, even if she accepts her choice. “I am always afraid of the stigmatism of this choice, the general view of society, even of people close to me.”she explains. A fear which made her opt for paid services in the private sector, while abortion is free in the public sector.
A right half a century old
Medical abortions are authorized up to nine weeks of pregnancy. According to the associations, waiting times make them impossible in family planning centers. Patients must therefore resort to surgical abortion, a service rarely practiced among the public due to lack of resources and nursing staff. Doctors and feminist activists continue to fight to change mentalities and raise awareness of the importance of this right. The right to abortion, half a century old, has survived attacks from conservative currents, but remains threatened. The economic crisis of recent years has drastically reduced health and family planning budgets.