Portugal abortion law seen as unfair to poor

CASAL DE CAMARA, Portugal, Feb 2 (Reuters) Pregnant, 16, and desperate, Vanessa felt she had no choice. With abortion illegal in Portugal, and already caring for a baby, she painfully self-induced a miscarriage.

Two years later she was pregnant again, and again she turned to black-market ulcer medication pills to trigger contractions.

With a referendum on legalising abortion just days away, Vanessa, now 23, explains her reasons: ''There was no room for more children,'' she said as she stroked her eight-year-old daughter's hair.

Scared of being handed to the authorities, Vanessa never admitted she induced two miscarriages. Nor did she ever ask a doctor for advice beforehand.

''They would have treated me as a criminal,'' said the unemployed single mother-of-two.

The referendum on February 11 to legalise abortion in the first 10 weeks of pregnancy could end the anguish experienced by Vanessa and thousands of other women.

Some see the vote, backed by the socialist government, as an opportunity to change a law they say does not reduce the number of abortions and discriminates against the poor.

The current law, they say, forces some women to undergo back-street abortions and turns a blind eye on those who can afford to go to Spain where abortion is legal. But the cost of going abroad is out of reach for the poor.

Opponents fear ending the ban would lead to more abortions.

MAJORITY WANT END TO BAN About two in three Portuguese say they are in favour of lifting the ban on abortions and 80 per cent are against prosecuting women who are caught performing abortions, recent surveys show.

But, the referendum result may not be so predictable given half the electorate is not expected to vote.

Women who carry out illegal abortions can go to jail for up to three years -- although most trials have often ended in suspended sentences or acquittals.

The practice is mostly treated as taboo in this deeply Catholic country and is only allowed in cases of rape, if the women's physical or mental health is in danger, or if there is a malformed foetus.

''The problem is the law has not stopped illegal abortions and is forcing poor women into a lonely black hole,'' said former Health Minister Maria de Belem.

''It (the law) is a health hazard for some women but does not affect those who can travel abroad to fix their little problem.'' The Portuguese Health Ministry estimates there are about 23,000, mostly illegal, abortions every year. Clandestine terminations are thought to have caused the death of up to 15 women in the last two years, the Family Planning Association says.

MORE LEGAL HELP Some medical professionals support abortion. They argue legalising the practice would enable women to seek advice from doctors before deciding whether or not to have an abortion and would avoid the unnecessary risks of a secret termination.

''If the 'yes' wins, all women will be able to come to us (doctors) for help and, regardless of what they decide in the end, it will be safer for everyone,'' said Vasco Freire, who heads a pro-choice association for doctors in Portugal.

Even some activists in the ''no'' camp have said they disagree with jail sentences for women who carry out abortions.

But they say that instead of liberalising the practice -- which they say would only increase the number of abortions -- more should be done to help women plan their pregnancies.

''I am convinced that the great majority of women want to have their baby if given the opportunity,'' said Antonio Pinheiro, a campaigner for the Together for Life movement.

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