Abortion in Perú

The abortion legislation in Peru has been in place since the criminal code of 1924 and considers that termination of pregnancy is legal when it is the only means to save the life of the pregnant person or to avoid serious and permanent damage to their health.

In cases where the pregnancy is the result of rape outside of marriage or when there is a chance that the fetus will have “physical or psychic abnormalities”, there is a penalty attenuation but it is not considered legal.

In 2014, the Ministry of Health promulgated the “National Technical Guideline for the Standardization of the Procedure of Integral Care of Pregnant Persons on the Therapeutic Indication of Voluntary Termination of Pregnancies less than 22 weeks with informed consent as provided by article 119o of the Penal Code”, which regulates within the framework of human rights with a quality, gender, and interculturality approach, the provision of comprehensive abortion care in Peru.

This Technical Guideline lists eleven diseases (or clinical entities) in which termination of pregnancy should be considered as a life-threatening or serious damage to the health of the pregnant person [1].

Is Abortion Legal in Perú?

Abortion is legal in Peru when a pregnancy endangers a woman’s life and when it is necessary to protect a woman’s health.

What Types of Abortion are Available in Perú?

Medical: Misoprostol-only regimens.
Surgical: MVA and D&C.

What is the abortion rate in Perú? How Many Women Have Abortions?

It is estimated that 371,420 clandestine abortions are performed per year in Peru; i.e. more than 1,000 abortions a day [3].

Abortion with Pills (Medical Abortion) in Perú

Are the Abortion Pills (Mifepristone and Misoprostol) Available in Perú?

Mifepristone: NOT available.
Misoprostol: Yes.

How Late Into a Pregnancy Can the Abortion Pills Be Used?

Technically, medical regimens can be used at any gestational age, provided the recommended regimen is used for any specific indication/gestational age.

Do I Need a Prescription for Mifepristone? Misoprostol?

Mifepristone: NOT available.
Misoprostol: Yes, a prescription should be required.

What Brands of Abortion Pill Are Popular in Perú?

Cytotec, 200 µg (28 tablets). Pfizer
Mystol, 200 µg (30 tablets). Markos
Cytofine, 200 µg (28 tablets). Medrox Corporation
Misoprolen, 200 µg (30 tablets). Intipharma [2]

How Much Do the Abortion Pills Cost in Perú?

$0.82 – $1.17 USD per pill [2]

Who Can I Contact for More Information on Abortion in Perú?

• Colectiva por la libre información para las mujeres, abortoinfosegura.com/blog
• Decido Yo, https://decidoyo.org/
• Serena Morena – Información y acompañamiento en abortos inseguros, serenamorena@riseup.net
• Degenerar – Servicio de consejería en salud sexual y reproductiva, www.degenerar.com

In-Clinic Abortion in Perú

What are the Different Types of in-Clinic Abortion Procedures Available in Perú?

Manual vacuum aspiration abortions (MVA) and Dilation & Curetage abortions (D&C) [3].

Where Can I get a Manual Vacum Aspiration (MVA) Abortion in Perú?

At public and private health facilities for legally-eligibile cases.

How Much Does Manual Vacuum Aspiration (MVA) Cost in Perú?

$110 – $ 376 USD, depending on the health facility.

How to get further information?

For additional information and support, you can get in touch with our trained multilingual female counselors.

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