Abstract

PACORA-PORTELLA, Percy. Therapeutic abortion: is there really?. Acta méd. peruana [online]. 2014, vol.31, n.4, pp.234-239. ISSN 1728-5917.

With regard to the recent enactment of the Peruvian Ministerial Resolution N.^o 4862014/Minsa, which approves the national technical guide for therapeutic abortion, has generated considerable debate. A review of the definition and type of abortion and the focus on the socalled ‘therapeutic abortion’ is presented. This article explores the difficulties in defining it. Finally, some comments are presented to the Technical Guidance issued by the Minsa. We conclude that the term ‘therapeutic abortion’ is anachronistic and contradictory because abortion is not a treatment ensuring better health of the woman neither for the unborn child. The proper term should be ‘termination of pregnancy for medical reasons’.

Keywords : abortion; therapeutic abortion; voluntary interruption of pregnancy; human health.

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