According to Women's enews from the month of May, the Spanish government plans to make contraception available over the counter within three months. The pill, which would prevent pregnancy if it is taken within 72 hours of having unprotected sex, will be sold without any age restrictions.
Abortions can now be performed without restrictions up to 14 weeks of pregnancy. With this new proposal abortions would be permitted up to 22 weeks of pregnancy "if two doctors can certify that there's a serious threat to the health of the mother or fetal malformation," according to the Associated Press.
This new bill is a great improvement over the 1985 law regarding abortion in Spain, which only allowed it in specific cases: rape up to 12 weeks of pregnacy; fetal malformation that went up to 22 weeks; and at any point when a woman's physical or mental health was deemed to be at risk due to the pregnancy.Parliament still has to approve this new proposal.
Spain has undoubetdly come a long way in the important issue of women's reproductive choice; it does have a way to go yet, however, but progress in the area of women's health should always be applauded.