In the news: Pregnant Nicaraguan Woman Denied Cancer Treatment
By Liz
March 2, 2010
I was saddened and angered this week reading about the plight of a young mother in Nicaragua with metastic cancer.
The woman, who has only been identified as “Amalia,” is 10 weeks pregnant and has a 10-year-old daughter, of whom she is the sole caregiver. According to news stories, doctors are not treating the cancer that may have spread to her brain, lungs and breasts because they fear chemotherapy or radiation could harm her fetus. Nicaraguan laws prohibit abortion under any circumstance, even when the mother’s health is in danger. Amalia’s story has reignited criticism and debate over the 2006 Nicaraguan law which removed a provision for “therapeutic” abortions that could save a woman’s life.
According to a statement by Amnesty International, the group is calling on Nicaraguan authorities to provide treatment to the woman. “Nicaragua’s ban of therapeutic abortions is a human rights scandal that ridicules medical science and turns the law into a weapon against the provision of essential medical care to pregnant women and girls,” says Esther Major, Central America researcher at Amnesty International.
What should not be forgotten is that behind this heated exchange is a real woman and her young daughter facing a terrifying situation. Other human rights organizations are joining Amnesty and speaking out against the draconian law that is interfering with this woman’s choices. Abortion discussions are always framed by choice. But how often do we think about whether or not a woman will have a choice to treat her illness?
As an insured women living in the United States, I take for granted that were I given a serious diagnosis I would weigh my treatment and options and choose what I believed was best for me. Amalia from Nicaragua doesn’t have that option.
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