[Current situation with abortion in Colombia: between illegality and reality]

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Sociology
• Law

Context:

• Colombia is one of the 0.4% of countries with a complete abortion ban.
• Legislation has historically overlooked women's rights and autonomy.
• Existing abortion bills focus narrowly on rape or therapeutic exceptions.

Purpose:

• To analyze the implications of absolute abortion criminalization in Colombia.
• To examine the conflict between legal prohibitions and actual practices.
• To highlight the resulting social inequalities and impact on the state's authority.

Summary:

• Absolute abortion bans create public health issues and social inequality.
• Colombian law disregards women's rights, focusing on limited exceptions.
• A disconnect exists between legal discourse and private abortion practices, especially for higher socioeconomic groups.

Impact:

• Criminalization exacerbates social inequality, disproportionately affecting marginalized women.
• The gap between law and reality undermines legal meaning and state legitimacy.
• This situation highlights the need for comprehensive sexual and reproductive rights.