Criminalizing Miscarriages: Latin America s Zero Tolerance Policy on Abortion By Mic hele Stopera Freyhauf October 6, 2011 tags:

abortion, crucifying women, Eric Drooker, Latin America, Michele Stopera F reyhauf, miscarriage, Opus Dei, women's suffering by Michele Stopera Freyhauf Imagine suffering a miscarriage. All of us have or know someone who has suffere d one; I had two. For me it was a terrible time and I still remember the day of loss and the expected due date. We all cope differently with this loss, but it is just that a physical and/or emotional loss. Statistically 15-25% of women in childbearing years will suffer a miscarriage anywhere from 5 to 20 weeks gestati on. In the United States, when we suffer a miscarriage we go to the hospital. Often times the visit results in a dilation and curettage (or D&C) to stop bleed ing and possible infection. For me this was also done after the doctors removed the baby girl that was dead inside of my womb. If this would have occurred in certain Latin American countries, especially in E l Salvador, Chile, Colombia, Malta, Nicaragua, and even Mexico, the emergency ro om doctor would notify the authorities of my miscarriage and I would be arrested and jailed anywhere from 3-50 years for having an abortion. El Salvador even has a rosecutor s office responsible for crimes against minors and women whose responsibil ities are capturing, trying, and incarcerating women who have abortions and misc arriages. In this office, there are police, investigators, medical spies, and f orensic vagina inspectors. Medical providers have an obligation to report abort ions; this is focused more on young uneducated and impoverished women. For thes e women, there is no presumption of innocence; they are guilty.