Brazilian Lawmakers Reject Bill To Legalize Abortion

Source: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com

Efforts to legalize abortion in Brazil, the world's most populous Roman Catholic country, were rejected by the lower house of the country's national Congress by a 57-4 vote of the Justice and Constitution Committee of the Chamber of Deputies, Reuters reports. The bill -- which has been stalled in Congress for 17 years -- is now likely to be dropped (Reuters, 7/9).

According to AFP/NDTV.com, the center-left government of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has signaled it favors decriminalizing abortion and making the issue a question of public health. The Catholic Church opposes the move and launched an antiabortion campaign this year (AFP/NDTV.com, 7/9). According to Reuters, several ruling party legislators pushed the bill after Health Minister Jose Temporao last year "all but endorsed legalizing abortion." In addition, Temporao angered Catholic officials by proposing a referendum on the legalization of the procedure and support of increased use of contraceptives. The government has begun distributing condoms in public high schools and recently opened a condom factory (Reuters, 7/9).

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