Conscientious objection as structural violence in the voluntary termination of pregnancy in Chile

Frontiers in Psychology

article

Adela Montero¹  Mirliana Ramirez-Pereira²  Paz Robledo³  Lidia Casas⁴  Lieta Vivaldi⁵  Daniela Gonzalez¹ 

[1] Center for Reproductive Medicine and Integral Development of Adolescence, Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile;Department of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile;Medium Care Unit, Pediatrics and Pediatric Surgery Service, Hospital La Florida Dra. Eloísa Díaz;Center for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Diego Portales;Department of Law Sciences, Law School, Alberto Hurtado University

关键词: Conscientious objection;    Abortion;    Structural violence;    sexual health;    Reproductive Health;    Sexual and reproductive rights;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1007025

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

Introduction: After three decades of the absolute prohibition of abortion, Chile enacted Law 21,030, which decriminalizes voluntary pregnancy termination when the person is at vital risk when the embryo or fetus suffers from a congenital or genetic lethal pathology, and in pregnancy due to rape. The law incorporates conscientious objection as a broad right at the individual and institutional levels. Objectives: To explore the exercise of conscientious objection in public health institutions, describing and analyzing its consequences and proposals to prevent it from operating as structural violence. Material and Method: qualitative, post-positivist design. At the national level, according to the chain technique, those who were identified as key actors due to their direct participation in implementing the law were included. Grounded theory was used to analize the information obtained through a semi-structured interview. The methodological rigor criteria of transferability or applicability, dependability, credibility, auditability, and theoretical-methodological adequacy were met. Results: data from 17 physicians, five midwives, six psychologists, eight social workers, two nursing technicians, and one lawyer are included. From an inductive process through open coding, conscientious objection as structural violence and strategies to minimize the impact of objection emerge as meta-categories. The first meta-category emerges from the barriers linked to the implementation of the law, the infringement of the rights of the pregnant person, and pseudo conscientious objection, affecting timely and effective access to pregnancy termination. The second meta-category emerges as a response from the participants, proposing strategies to prevent conscientious objection from operating as structural violence. Conclusions: Conscientious objection acts as structural violence by infringing the exercise of sexual and reproductive rights. The State must fulfill its role as guarantor in implementing public policies, preventing conscientious objection from becoming hegemonic and institutionalized violence.

【 授权许可】

CC BY