BMJ  2006;333:1037 (18 November), doi:10.1136/bmj.39035.344387.DB

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Woman dies after doctors fail to intervene because of new abortion law in Nicaragua

Sophie Arie

1 Managua, Nicaragua

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

A hospital in Nicaragua is investigating the death of a woman after doctors failed to intervene to save her life during complications in pregnancy.

It is suspected that doctors did not dare to carry out an abortion because a new law has been approved that bans all forms of abortion, whether a woman has been raped or risks death during pregnancy.

Under the law, women who terminate their pregnancies and doctors who carry out abortions will face up to 20 years in jail. Although the law has yet to be signed into effect by the country's conservative president, the fear of punishment already seems to be discouraging doctors from treating some women.

On 2 November, the young woman died at a Managua hospital after doctors failed to intervene to stop vaginal bleeding. Some doctors told local media they did not treat the woman for fear of breaking the law. The . . . [Full text of this article]


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